


The Planet of Ice and Silver

by Kimegite



Series: Marvel [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: All ships are minor except stucky, Angst, But also, Everyone survived IW part 2, F/M, Fluff, I love my former villain boys, I really just wanted a redemption for Loki, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Jewish Bucky Barnes, Jotunn Loki (Marvel), Jötunheimr | Jotunheim, Loki adored his mother and you can't convince me otherwise, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), Original Character(s), Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Stucky - Freeform, and for him and Bucky to become friends, dad! tony, how the hell did I come up with this, my fix-it fic, no one stays dead, so that may change later, space travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-05-25 13:14:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 79,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14977922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimegite/pseuds/Kimegite
Summary: While a large portion of the Avengers are sent to Vienna to create a revised version of the Accords, Bucky is left alone in charge of the Avengers Compound, two genius teenagers, an overly concerned witch, and a psychotic god he shares an unfortunate secret with. Bucky and Loki end up thrown into a crazy space adventure that will not only decide their fates but the fate of the universe. Along the way they run into familiar faces and a new group of frenemies is formed. The group is forced to face down the most powerful beings in the universe to try and save themselves from a fate worse than death.(No longer on hiatus)





	1. A New Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written for Marvel before and hardly ever come close to finishing a fanfiction in years? The only reason I'm publishing this is because I have the entire outline done and more than half the actual writing done already. This story is mainly a Loki redemption arc with a small one thrown in for Bucky as well, but for Bucky it's mainly the finalization of things we've already seen the beginning of in the movies (i.e., Bucky learning how to be a person again, learning how to live again, being part of a team, and some solid Stucky). You will also see a lot of Peter, Shuri, and Wanda despite them not technically being the main characters, so I hope you like them. I really hope I'm doing these characters and this universe justice, I've adored Marvel for years but didn't really fall into fandom hell until after Thor Ragnarok was released. Lastly, I am working on a prologue that takes place at the end of the war, so that should be out soon as well to give some background. So, have fun, correct me if there are any obvious grammar mistakes, and I'll be back with the next chapter soon!

_There once was a boy; fair of skin, ebony of hair, pure of heart. He lived a happy life as a prince of the most respected kingdom in all the universe. His father was a wise king who kept peace throughout the universe. His mother a benevolent queen who loved him greatly and was his greatest tutor. And his brother, though blissfully unaware of the shadow he cast on the boy, was a loving and forgiving one. He was happy. But as he grew the young prince began to feel… out of place... in his home. He grew more and more aware of just how truly different he was, how much weaker he was, how much he lacked… His heart began to grow black._

_He trained diligently, he studied night and day and when he realized that was not enough he sought higher trainer. He first learned from his mother all she could teach him of magic and sorcery, and how one should aid those in power. When she had taught him all she knew he began to seek outside sources of knowledge. And oh the things he learned.  
He learned that he had just as much a right to be king as his beloved brother. Yet, others seemed to think otherwise. They said he was too weak, too passive, that he would never be able to hold the throne of such a powerful kingdom. The boy decided to prove them wrong. He learned other things in this time; his heritage was one. He was not his father’s son, nor his mother’s, nor was his brother even that. He was a Frost Giant, a Jotunn. The Jotunn were the greatest enemy of his people; the boy suddenly understood why he had been outcast his entire life. Why he had been denied the throne. And why he had to take it for himself, he grew older and crueler with time. _

_He attempted a coup, to overthrow his father, banish his brother, and take the throne for his own. All while maintaining his mother’s trust and love. He failed. He was defeated by his brother and cast off into space to die. And then he was found. He met a Titan with a glorious purpose, one who gave him a glorious purpose of his own once more. This purpose would fade and die upon his defeat on a planet called Terra, or Earth. He was locked away by his father and brother, left to rot in a dungeon. But to be fair, after nearly conquering two planets and killing many people it was hardly unjust. Then his planet was attacked, and his mother, the only one who had remained by his side with love, was murdered. The man vowed revenge and joined his brother once more. Battling side by side the brothers were able to defeat the Dark Elves who had attacked their home and murdered their mother. The man had a plan however, and upon the final battle faked his own death. He returned to his former home, removed his father from the throne, and took up the mantle in his father’s disguise. And began his rule of Asgard. It was peaceful and the people were happy, but a dark force was stirring in the universe._

_His brother returned and dethroned him, and the pair soon encountered an entirely new threat upon the death of their father. Their sister. Once again the brothers worked together to defeat the threat, but with much greater loss. Their father was gone, their home destroyed, their people on the run. But the man had finally realized that his place was beside his brother, working with him to protect their people. And he was content with that idea, almost happy, for the first time in many years._

_The universe would grant him no happiness. Their ship was attacked, their people slaughtered, and they were captured by the Titan from the man’s past. With his brother’s life at stake the man was forced to hand over one of the most powerful weapons in the universe to the Mad Titan. The man attempted the kill the Titan, to save his brother and his people, and was murdered.  
But then the universe decided to grant him a final chance. His brother and the heroes who had defeated him were able to defeat the Titan and return all those to live who had been killed, including the silver-tongued man. The man was reunited with his brother and his people were given a new home on Earth, where he was also invited to stay. The man felt that it was finally the end to their journey of hardship, and he was pleased to settle down._

_The universe decided otherwise; the man was beginning to hate it with an extreme passion. The man had one more chapter in his story to complete before he would be allowed to rest. He would end his adventures with the place where it all began. He was an Asgardian, but one of Jotun blood. The rightful king of Jotunheim, ready to reclaim the throne he had never known was his own. What better way to end his adventures than hopping around the universe with a cyborg assassin, a human/kree hybrid, a Jotun with an attitude, and PTSD riddled war veteran with a metal arm. What better way to end a story than with a king taking his throne with grace, friends and family by his side._

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Even Loki could admit that Wakanda was an impressive city, especially for Earth. The gilded building and advanced Earth tech made him think of Asgard, it caused a nearly constant ache in his chest. But it was a good safe haven for his people to recover in while Thor tried to make arrangements for them to move elsewhere. Loki was grateful for King T’Challa’s hospitality. He was not ready to go back to space just yet.

All of Loki’s nightmares were about space. About Thanos. About death. Loki was tired of not being able to rest. Months of nightmares will do that to you. Years of such nightmares can be deadly. Loki was edging on seven years of such nightmares. Living alongside his brother did little to quell Loki’s constant paranoia and fear.

When Thor had reassured Loki that he was free to stay on Earth Loki had been, frightened, if he was honest. But where else could he go? He wanted to stay as physically far away from the Grandmaster as possible, and all his other connections had burned with Thanos. And so he stayed on Earth with Thor, doing his best to help his people recover from the fall of Asgard and their deaths. 

Loki was currently watching over his people whilst Thor visited the main Avengers at their compound to discuss how rebuilding was going in Wakanda. Loki was more than happy to stay behind and help his people find jobs within Wakanda as opposed to meeting with those who utterly despised him.

Loki swept into a slight bow, “Once again general, thank you for your help.” 

Okoye rolled her eyes, “Enough, you’ve thanked me plenty. Besides, Wakanda can always use help when it is as strong and resilient as your people are.”

Loki smirked, “That they are, there is a reason we are compared to gods.”

Okoye huffed before turning on her heel and stalking back down the hallway, “Just get back to work, or else I’ll have my King tell your brother that you’re misbehaving.” she snapped at him. 

Loki pursed his lips. He was still unsure if he actually liked the Wakandan general, but she had spunk, he would give her that. She almost reminded him of Sif, but slightly meaner. Loki turned and removed himself from the castle premise. 

Loki felt a tug on his being and let himself be transported to its source. He reappeared before Thor, the backdrop of his brother’s room behind him. Thor whirled on Loki, heterochromatic eyes glowing with nervous light.

“Loki!” Thor grabbed Loki by the shoulders “There you are! I was looking for you.”

Loki crossed his arms, “What for? Do you need me to help you with another crossword puzzle?” he replied dryly. 

Thor shook his head seriously, “No brother, I’m afraid I need your help with something a little more important.” Thor crossed over to his desk in a few short strides. 

That peaked Loki’s interest; he tilted his head, eyes narrowing “Important? And you’re trusting me with it? I’m curious.” Loki followed his brother over towards the desk with narrowed eyes, watching his brother unpack the contents of what looked like either a briefcase or an advanced Wakandan suitcase.

Loki peered over his brother’s shoulder and was surprised to see documents and what looked like schematics and blueprints spilling peeking out from underneath the “suitcase”. Loki made a grab for the papers “By Odin’s beard! What-?”

Thor snagged the papers from Loki’s grip and shoved them in a drawer, “Those are not of importance at the moment.” Thor let out a triumphant “Ha!” as he pulled a laptop from the bottom of the suitcase and slammed it on the desk. 

Loki flinched but knew the Wakandan tech was able to handle such brutality; Shuri had made specially reinforced technology for Thor including an “unbreakable” cell phone that was Hulk Buster tested. Thor flipped the laptop open and quickly pulled up whatever he’d been working on. 

Loki smirked “I see you’re getting more comfortable with your new technology” he noted, leaning over to look at what his brother had pulled up on the screen "What am I looking at?”

Thor grinned at him “Asgard!” he bellowed happily.

Loki slowly turned to glare at him “Pardon?”

Thor clicked an image and it expanded to fill the screen “I was thinking back to what Father said when we spoke with him last. “Remember this place”, that’s what he said in Norway.” Thor grabbed Loki by the neck “Don’t you get it? This is where we shall rebuild Asgard!”

Loki glanced down at the screen and then back at his brother, “Are you certain? The people have just begun to settle here in Wakanda.”

Thor nodded and patted Loki’s shoulder, “It will take a few years to build, and even longer to get up and running, but I think it will be perfect when it’s done.” Thor was practically sparking with excitement, “Norway, the home of those who made us legends, it seems fitting that is where we should settle.”

Loki sighed and tried to smother the growing concern he felt. There were too many variables, too much risk. They would be moving right into the middle of Midgardian territory, and attempting to integrate into their society. It felt like a recipe for disaster to Loki. But he couldn’t squash the look of happiness on Thor’s face, not when it was so rare now. Loki would express his concerns at a later time, try and talk Thor out of it then. For now, he would let it slide.

Loki nodded “If you believe it will be the place for New Asgard, then it shall be brother”

Thor lit up; he turned back to the laptop and quickly shut it. Thor haphazardly began throwing things back into the suitcase with a wave of his hand, “Then it shall be!”

Loki waved his own hand and Thor pulled away as the contents magically began assembling themselves in an orderly manner before appearing in the suitcase. Thor clapped his hands together, “Of course the real planning will have to wait. Whence I return we will begin-”

Loki paused his work and looked at Thor in confusion “Whence you return? Where are you going now?” he demanded “I thought you said you had no more business to deal with currently?”

Thor shook his head with a tired smile, “It seems I am required in Vienna for something far more important than a status update. The countries of Earth are sending representatives to help create a new version of the Accords, one that will allow for us to do our work without impediment from the government but one that will also protect the citizens rights and cause due punishment and retribution for any misdemeanor. It has been requested I go with the main team as I am an original Avenger, and if we are truly going to build here on Earth it is extremely important I go.”

Loki’s face twisted into a troubled look, “Thor, we hardly understand anything about Earth, what makes you think you will be able to help write its laws?”

Thor raised an eyebrow, “Though I know little of Earth’s laws, my otherworldly insight might help them think, what’s the phrase? “Outside the box?”? Help them achieve something near the peace Asgard had” Thor slammed his suitcase shut and turned to Loki “Though I understand your concern, this is usually your area of expertise brother”

Loki huffed and crossed his arms. Thor grinned at Loki, “However, that’s why you need to pack as well. You’re coming with me!”

Loki stared at Thor in a mixture of shock and horror, “You’re not serious, are you!? I can’t go meet with World Leaders!”

Thor chuckled and clapped Loki on the shoulder, “That’s true, which is why you’re not coming all the way to Vienna with me. You’ll be staying behind at the Avengers compound and acting as our instant communication between the compound and our group in Vienna.”

“No” Loki snapped

Thor’s grin sharpened slightly “Oh yes. Pack your bag brother! You’re headed for America!”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_One Week Later…_  
APR 03 2019 07:23  
RM 17- West Wing

 

_“Tell me Sergeant Barnes, you’re already dead, what left do you have yet to lose?”_

_“Everything”_

Bucky woke with a start, eyes letting in the blinding sunlight. He was shaking, tears falling from his eyes as he bit back a scream. Bucky’s breath caught in his throat and he shuddered weakly as his mind flashed back into his nightmare. He couldn’t protect them, any of them, not even Steve. A flash of red and the gurgle of blood; Bucky took a deep breath and tried to remember the advice he’d been given. Breathe. 

_“When you have a nightmare let your emotions flow freely, it may help you cope with them, or at least help you get through them”_ Loki had told him, _“Repressing your emotions will only make it worse when you eventually lose control of them”_ Loki has said he knew what it was like to have nightmares, Bucky often wondered what his were about. 

Bucky slowly lowered himself back onto the bed, dropping his head back with a dull thud. Bucky tugged Steve’s pillow against his face and breathed in his scent. He quickly dissolved into muffled tears. Bucky had been crying far more often of late, and it was a strange feeling. Grief, anguish, anger, pain; so many emotions flew through him he couldn’t keep track of them all. He wept for what felt like hours (but was only a few minutes in reality), clinging to the pillows like a lifeline. Eventually his tears ran dry and Bucky was left heaving, muffled sobs barely escaping him. 

Bucky whined, rubbing at his crusty eyes with his flesh hand. The blankets and pillows around him were damp from his tears. Not for the first time, Bucky was glad Steve was already up, but also saddened as well. Steve really needed a chance to relax. But as the events planned for that day demonstrated, Steve was far from retired. 

Bucky glanced down at the nightstand and was relieved to see that Steve’s dog tags were still tucked in the drawer. Bucky quickly grabbed them and slipped them around his neck; he closed his fist around them, enjoying the cool metal against his skin. Just wearing the dog tags made him feel more at peace, they felt like Steve. Steve was home, Steve was safe.

Bucky dragged himself off the bed and clambered over to the laundry basket in the corner. Steve made it seem he hated it when Bucky wore his dirty clothing, but they smelled like Steve, and were comfortably too big on Bucky. Bucky was aware that Steve secretly did like it when Bucky wore his clothes though, Steve’s blush was too obvious not to notice. Bucky pulled a pair of gray sweatpants and a burgundy sweatshirt from the hamper and slipped them on over his pajamas. Bucky liked layers, and he liked soft clothing, they made him feel safe. He felt even safer when they smelled like Steve, like amber and freshly cleaned fabric, and sometimes sweat as well. 

A glance at the clock revealed it was just after 07:30 am. If Bucky had to guess, Steve was already out on the tarmac waiting for the rest of the Avengers to arrive from Wakanda and the other various bases. As for the others still at the compound, those who would be staying, he figured that everyone else was working, training, or in the labs. Bucky grabbed a rubber band from the dresser top on his way out of his and Steve’s room, bare feet padding on the floor. The rest of the apartments were eerily quiet as Bucky made his way towards the common room. Bucky paused outside the kitchen as a familiar smell wafted through the door; he peeked inside.

Wanda was cooking something on the stove top in a large pan, a large pile of ingredients on the counters all around her. She huffed and swept a stray piece of hair that had fallen from her bun with the back of her hand. Bucky sniffed and recognized a familiar blend of smells coming from the pan and he sighed happily. “Are you making pirozhki?” he asked blithely.

Wanda jumped, eyes flying up to meet Bucky’s. She sighed and nodded with a small smile, “I’m trying to, I figured it might be a good comfort food to send with the Alpha team when they leave. We’ll see how the first batch turns out in a few minutes.”

Bucky smirked tiredly, “It will be. If anything, there will be a battle for them. Or Nat will eat them all after knocking Steve and Thor out of the way."

Wanda’s face twitched and she looked back down at her concoction, “I just, had a feeling they might want something to keep them calm.” She shifted on her feet “Besides, if they don’t turn out I’ll just call it a late breakfast or early lunch. I’m sure the teens will eat it no matter what.”

Bucky was thankful she hadn't asked about his nightmare or obviously disheveled figure, “Brunch”

Wanda looked up at him curiously, “What?”

Bucky chuckled weakly, “Brunch. That’s what people typically call a meal between lunch and breakfast. Lunch and dinner in linner and breakfast and dinner is brinner” Bucky shrugged “Steve and I used to have a lot of days where we ate brinner.”

Wanda sent him a sympathetic look, “I understand the feeling, my family was poor, we often only ate one meal a day when I was a child” she laughed darkly “Sadly enough, Hydra kept us more well fed than our family was able to.” 

They fell into a comfortable silence, one of understanding, as she worked. Bucky watched as she carefully chopped up potatoes and dumped them into the pan. Their peace was interrupted by loud and sudden rapping on the window. Wanda and Bucky whirled on the window, each snapping to attention. Peter was hanging on the outside of the window, a bright grin on his face. Wanda sighed and flicked the window open with a wave of her hand.

“Hey guys!” Peter chirped as he clambered inside the kitchen. He dropped his duffel bag by the window and strode over. Wanda closed the window behind him with another wave of her hand. 

“Can’t you just walk like a normal person?” Bucky deadpanned “Did you really have to sling all the way here?”

Peter shrugged and dropped into a chair at the counter, “No! I was way too excited to wait that long. Besides, I knew the sooner I got here, the more time I’d be able to spend with Mr. Stark before he leaves”

Bucky rolled his eyes, “I thought you and your Aunt moved to an apartment just a few minutes from Stark’s house? And don’t you see him almost every day?” 

Peter grinned sheepishly, “Yeah, but he’s been up here the past couple weeks so I haven’t really gotten to talk to him”

Wanda smiled sneakily, “Haven’t told him about your acceptance to Harvard, Cambridge, and MIT yet, have you?”

Bucky inhaled sharply, eyes turning on Peter, “No way, did you seriously get accepted to all three?” he asked in awe. “Those were amazing schools even back in my day.”

Peter grinned bashfully and nodded, “Yeah, I did” he rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean, I don’t really need to worry about choosing between them. MIT has always been my top pick, since Mr. Stark went there.”

Bucky chuckled, “Like father like son.”

Peter flushed and laughed nervously, “Yeah, except he’s not my dad so…”

Bucky leaned against the counter, “He might as well be kid, I’m honestly surprised he hasn’t adopted you yet.”

Peter stiffened slightly, then sunk into himself, face falling. He absentmindedly tapped on the counter, “Maybe he would, but now that Pepper’s pregnant…” Peter shook his head “He’s got enough on his mind right now.”

Wanda rested a hand on top of Peter’s and met his gaze with a gentle look, “But he is not replacing you, he cares about you Peter, don’t forget that.” Wanda sighed “He watched you die once Peter. And when he thought that you hadn’t managed to escape Hel, he was beyond devastated. If you ask, I wouldn’t doubt he would be willing to take you in.” 

Wanda squeezed his hand, “Especially when he finds out what’s going on with your Aunt.”

Peter paled and pulled away from Wanda, eyes wide and fearful. Bucky felt a stir of nerves in his stomach, he sat down in a chair next to Peter’s. Bucky felt himself go into full-on older brother mode, “Peter, what’s going on with your Aunt? And why haven’t you told Tony?” he asked gently.

Peter’s mouth opened and closed, like he was trying and failing to find an answer. Peter took a shaky breath and buried his face in his hands. After a minute of silence Bucky rested a hand on Peter’s back and lowered his head to Peter’s level “Come one kid, you know I just want to help.”

Peter leaned against Bucky and shuddered, obviously trying to keep from getting too upset. Wanda met Bucky’s gaze with sad eyes, _“His aunt kicked him out because he refused to give up the suit”_ Wanda murmured in Russian. 

Bucky squeezed Peter against his side tightly. “What?” he looked down at Peter sadly “Peter, how long ago did this happen?” he asked quietly.

Peter grimaced, holding his eyes closed. “Almost a month and a half ago” he said dully.

Bucky felt a wave of anger crash over him, “What?! Peter, why haven’t you told anyone?” Bucky glared at Peter furiously, “Better question, where the hell have you been living?”

Wanda’s eyes lit with anger as well, her head tilting “That is an excellent question” she said slowly. “One I don’t know the answer to either”

Peter took a deep breath and his eyes trailed down to his duffel bag by the window. Peter once again looked far too old and tired for his age. “Nowhere” he murmured dully.

Bucky’s grip around Peter’s shoulder tightened. Wanda’s spoon dropped into the pan with a small thud. “What?” Bucky asked lowly.

Peter gripped the edge of the counter “I haven’t been living anywhere” he said through gritted teeth. “Why do you think I’ve been spending every second of my free time here? It’s the easiest way to get a hot shower and free meal.”

Bucky had half a mind to march down to May Parker’s house and give her a piece of his mind, but he didn’t know where she lived. Bucky managed to get his voice to the seemingly calm level that would only ever be feared by Steve, who managed to normally be the only person he used it on. “Peter, you’ve been living on the streets for the past two months?”

Peter slowly nodded and pried his hands off the counter. Bucky sighed and rubbed Peter’s back. “Kid” he said tiredly, “You’ve got to tell Stark”

Peter whirled on him, nearly knocking over his chair as he jumped to his feet. “Don’t you get it?! I can’t! If I tell Mr. Stark he’s going to force me to move up here to the compound. I won’t be able to finish the school year and graduate! I won’t be able to go to the colleges I want! Money and reputation won’t be enough for me to get in! That’s not how I want to get in” he sighed. Bucky and Wanda stared at him silently, trying to come to terms with what he’d said. 

The arrival of a fourth figure stopped either of them from replying. Bruce poked his head into the kitchen “Not to bother you guys, but the team from Wakanda is landing. We’ll be heading out in a few minutes in case you guys want to say goodbye"

Bucky nodded “Thank you Bruce, I’ll be down momentarily” Bruce smiled awkwardly and disappeared around the corner once more. 

Wanda sighed and waved her hand “Their pirozhki are almost finished, make sure they don’t leave before I can bring them down”

Bucky nodded and faked a smirk “That won’t be hard to do, all I have to do is tell them that you’re bringing food” He looked down at Peter, who was still glaring at the floor “Are you coming? You can drop your bag in your room on the way”

Peter took a deep breath and nodded. He grabbed his duffel and slung it over his shoulder, eyes trained on his sneakers. Bucky slid from his chair and headed towards the sleeping quarters for the part-time residents, knowing that Peter would catch up in his own time. Wanda went back to work on her cooking as they left.

The walk to Peter’s room was tense to say the least, and even though Bucky often preferred silence, it was deafening. Peter was the type of kid who constantly talked, about everything, so for him to be silent, meant Bucky had fucked up. And that he needed to fix it. Bucky sighed, preparing himself for a rough conversation. 

Bucky slowed his pace and dropped back beside Peter. The teen glanced up at him, but angrily returned his gaze to the floor. Bucky took a deep breath “Peter, I’m sorry that I upset you” 

Peter looked up at him almost curiously. Bucky met his eyes “I understand that you want to do this on your own, and that you don’t want to be a burden, but take it from someone who’s spent a good amount of time homeless and extremely poor… It absolutely fucking sucks.”

Peter’s eyes widened slightly but he let Bucky continue, “I know you think you’ll be able to manage fending for yourself and working and going to school” Bucky tilted his head as he recollected his memories “But it’s going to drag you down, it’ll drain the life from you.” 

Bucky shook his head and looked ahead of them, “You know I never graduated high school? Certainly never went to college either. Why? Because I moved in with Steve when we were seventeen, after his mother died, and I was trying to support a household and go to school at the same time… And I just couldn’t do it. I quit school so I could focus on working, earning more money, so Steve could finish school” a look of sadness passed across his face “Because I wanted to make sure that I could send Steve to art school, because he was-is- used to be an amazing artist. I don’t know if he still does any art, I’ll take a guess and say he doesn’t, but I wanted to help him become the best. Because I knew he could be, even if he doubted it.”

“And believe me, we fought about it many times. He insisted that he could manage on his own and that I should try and finish school since I was a better student and could’ve gone into something like science or engineering.” Peter’s eyebrows quirked with curiosity “But I didn’t want him to go it alone. We were way too young to try and go it alone. And I’d promised him, “to the end of the line”. I had no intention of breaking that promise.”

Bucky looked back at Peter, “What I’m trying to get at? You probably can do it alone, but it doesn’t mean you have to. Not when you have a huge support system behind you” he smirked “Not when one of the richest and smartest men in the world is practically your dad.”

Peter managed a weak smile and a chuckle, “I guess not”

“And while I think you should really talk to Stark, you don’t have to.” Bucky admitted “You could talk to Pepper, I’m sure she’ll be willing to help. Or even Colonel Rhodes, he is the best when it comes to dealing with Tony. If you talk to him first he’ll probably be willing to go with you when you talk to Tony. Having him there as backup is a smart idea.”

Peter nodded in understand as they stopped by his door. Peter swiftly opened his door and tossed his duffel inside. Peter closed the door and looked back at Bucky determinedly. They stood in silence for a long moment. Peter sighed “Thanks Bucky, I get that you’re trying to help, so I’ll think about it.” His mouth quirked into a small smile “You were a science nerd?”

Bucky nodded “My last day before shipping out I took Steve and two gals on a double date to Stark’s expo to see his “flying car”. Didn’t really fly, but it sure as hell was exciting.” He smiled, “That’s part of the reason I love Wakanda so much, it reminds me of everything I hoped the future would be.”

Peter grinned, “You should come hang out in the lab with Shuri and I while she’s here. You might be able to finally pursue some science.”

Bucky chuckled, “Alright, I will. Now, let’s go see the other off before they decide to leave early. Gotta make sure they know about Wanda’s pirozhki”

\----------------------------------------------------

Bucky and Peter made it onto the tarmac just as T’Challa’s quinjet appeared on the horizon. Steve, Tony, Natasha, Bruce, Clint, and Vision were waiting by the edge of the building in the shade. Tony scoffed and stepped away from the building, “Finally! Took them long enough.”

Steve rolled his eyes from where he was leaning against the building, “They’re almost fifteen minutes early Tony.”

Tony turned on him, a sour look on his face “So? We have shit to do! Places to be! People to see!”

Natasha shot Tony a glare “Stark, calm down” she deadpanned.

“Besides” Bucky leaned against Steve and tucked himself under his partner’s arm “Wanda’s bringing down fresh pirozhki for you guys, and trust me when I say you don’t want to miss those”

Nat’s face lit up, “She made pirozhki? With what?” Her hair whipped around her face as the quinjet touched down on the landing pad.

Bucky shrugged as Steve kissed his hair lightly, “The usual ingredients if I had to guess; beef, potato, cheese, various vegetables.”

Natasha grinned as Clint groaned, “God I’m so hungry I could eat a horse, Wanda truly must be a mind reader.”

Vision smirked slightly “Or she must be able to see the future, as pirozhki usually take hours to prepare.”

Bucky chuckled but couldn’t help but notice that Peter had settled against the wall only a few feet away, maintaining a distance from Stark. Bucky suppressed a sigh as the quinjet doors dropped and the rest of the group made their way out, T’Challa stepped down first, dressed in a sharp black suit. Shuri followed him, a bright smirk on her face as she examined her new playground. Thor followed them, ducking as he exited the quinjet with a smile. Bucky actually liked Thor the best out of most of the Avengers, he was kind, and bright, like Steve used to be.

The fourth member stepped into the light and Bucky could feel the tension on the Tarmac increase by a tenfold. Steve pushed off the wall and stepped forward; Bucky noted that he stepped partially in front on Bucky, as if to shield him. Bucky wondered if Steve had forgotten that he and Loki had already met several times. 

Loki’s body language screamed discomfort, from the way he held his shoulders to the way he remained slightly behind Thor. The tarmac was silent for an awkward moment before T’Challa broke the silence with a peaceful smile. “Avengers, it is good to see you again” T'Challa offered Tony a hand.

Tony took it out of respect but his focus remained fixated on Loki over T’Challa’s shoulder. Clint and Nat pressed closer together; only Bruce and Vision seemed largely unaffected. Bucky felt extreme sympathy for Loki. He understood why the Avengers were so tense around him, but he knew what Loki was feeling. He knew better than anyone. And he knew how to help.

Bucky stepped around Steve (who let out a muffled squeak) and walked straight past the other Avengers. T’Challa watched curiously as Bucky walked straight past him and Shuri. Thor seemed to sense what Bucky was doing and stepped aside as well, a warm light flickering in his eyes. Bucky was glad he didn’t decide to strike him down with lightning where he stood. Bucky stopped in front of Loki and extended a hand “Loki” 

Bucky watched as Loki assessed him in an instant. Loki took Bucky’s hand and shook it, eyes revealing his curiosity “James, it’s good to see you again.” 

Bucky could practically feel the eyes burning through the back of his jacket. He heard Clint let out a low “What the fuck” beneath his breath. 

Thor gave a curious half-smile “You two know each other? Also, I don't believe we've been formally introduced” he offered Bucky his hand “I'm Thor, son of Odin, king of Asgard"

Bucky shook his hand as well “James Barnes, but you can call me Bucky, pretty much everyone does.”

Loki's face twitched “As for how we met? In Hel, he-”

“Saved my life” Bucky and Loki echoed. Loki looked at him with wide eyes, as though he surprised Bucky had admitted to it.

Bucky hid a smirk, “Yeah, I may have been half dead but I remembered. Also you were the only other person with Thanos besides Wanda, and it clearly wasn't her.” Loki nodded in understanding.

Tony cleared his throat and all eyes turned back on him, “No offense or anything but what the hell is _he_ doing here.” 

Loki flinched and sunk back into himself. Bucky once again wanted to punch Stark’s lights out. God, Stark really had no idea how hard it was to be on a path like Loki's, or Bucky's.

Thor stepped forward, “While I understand your wariness at my brother's presence I felt it would be important for him to come with me.”

Natasha glared at him, “While I can appreciate the sentiment, is it really a good idea to bring your psychopath of a brother anywhere outside a contained cell?”

Thor's eyes narrowed and Bucky flinched slightly as an electric current ran across his metal arm. “While I understand your fear, my brother has valuable abilities that could be essential when maintain contact with the Avengers compound.” Thor pressed his mouth into a thin-lipped smile. 

Steve stiffened, “Wait, you want to leave him here? With the few remaining Avengers? None of whom have any ability to control him.”

Bucky struggled to maintain his composure, “Really Steve? You don't think Wanda and I could handle him?” 

Steve turned his glare on his partner and Bucky was suddenly aware of the fear hiding in Steve's eyes. “Considering you two have history on the opposite sides of Hydra, _not really_ ” he said through gritted teeth.

Thor interjected, “My brother will not only be able to keep in constant and immediate contact but should the need arise could easily transported anyone, or thing, between Paris and here in the blink of an eye. His magic is powerful, and extremely valuable.”

Vision hummed and tilted his head, “That could prove to be… necessary… should those we are working with wish for Wanda to speak to them, or if we would like another opinion on the revisions. If Strange had agreed to work with us…” Vision sighed “But he didn’t.”

Wanda landed on the tarmac beside him, freezer bag in hand, “I would have to agree, as much as I don't want to.” 

Thor clapped his hands together with a bright grin “Then it’s settled, my brother will stay here whilst we are in Paris”

Both Steve and Tony opened their mouths to disagree but T’Challa stopped the continuation on the argument in its tracks. “We could debate this further, however we are running out of time, as you mentioned Mr. Stark” he turned a warm smile on Wanda “Besides, I believe we have a parting gift from Ms. Maximoff”

Wanda flushed nervously as all eyes turned on her. She pulled the freezer bag out and held it out to Natasha, who eagerly took it with a grin “I made pirozhki for all of you” she shrugged “They may not be great, I didn’t get a chance to let anyone try them.”

Vision slipped his arm around her waist with a gentle smile. “I’m sure they’ll be delightful” he said sweetly. 

Wanda scoffed, “As if you are any judge, you’ve only had taste buds for a few months.”

Thor grinned, “I would be more than happy to help with the taste testing.”

Clint shrugged, “If there’s any left after I get to them.”

Steve managed a small smile, “I don’t know Clint, I might have to fight you for them.”

Thor let out a hearty laugh, “Then I wish you both the best luck in fighting me for them, it will not be an easy one,.”

Bucky wandered back towards Steve as the Avengers bantered. Even Tony managed to get over himself and joke that he’d be willing to pay Wanda to make more. It was all fun and games until Natasha threatened to stab anyone who tried to eat one before her. Loki remained by Thor's side but seemed to be slightly more relaxed than he had upon arrival.

Steve watched Bucky walk over with a mixture of anger and fear on his face. Bucky exhaled heavily and slid his hand up Steve's arm. Steve sighed and wrapped his arms around Bucky's waist. Bucky pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of Steve's mouth before wrapping his arms around Steve's neck and burying his face beside them. 

Steve squeezed Bucky and whispered in his ear, “Please be careful Buck, especially around him.”

Bucky sighed, “Steve, although I appreciate the concern, I can take care of myself. Why don't you focus on making sure the world doesn't throw us all in prison?”

Steve buried his face in Bucky's hair, “I'm serious Bucky, he is dangerous, especially to anyone who has a history of being brainwashed or controlled. He manipulated all of us.” 

Bucky sighed into Steve's skin, “I'll be fine Stevie.” He grinned “Tell you what, if you ever feel worried about me you can just call me. Or even Skype me, now that we know how to do that.”

Steve hummed as he processed the idea and Bucky sunk against Steve's chest, enjoying the warmth. “Fine, only if you promise to do the same. Even if you just want to talk” he cupped Bucky's face in his hand “And every time you have a nightmare.”

Bucky inhaled sharply and Steve kissed his nose, “Especially then. I don't want you to have to go through those alone, unlike this morning” he said sadly. 

“Steve-” Bucky began tiredly.

“Promise me” Steve kissed him gently “We’re in this together, remember?”

Bucky smirked against Steve's mouth, “'Til the end of the line, punk”

A disgusted scoff interrupted their peace “Good lord, look at the old men being gross again. Enough making out Rogers, let's go”

Bucky flipped him off, earning a squawk from Tony. Steve squeezed Bucky's hip “Buck…” he said warningly.

Bucky pressed a final kiss to Steve's forehead “I know, but he's right. Good luck Steve”

Steve pulled away reluctantly, a tired smile on his face “Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone.”

Bucky smiled at him, hands bracing on his hips “How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you.”

Steve laughed as he headed towards the quinjet. The other Avengers were already climbing inside, Natasha glaring at Thor as he tried to get his hands on the food. Vision kissed Wanda's hand a final time and joined them. Loki and Shuri moved to stand by Bucky, Peter, and Wanda as the quinjet’s door closed. They watched as the jet took to the air and shimmered into non-existence.

They stood in silence for a moment, unsure of what to do. Shuri was the one who eventually broke by glaring at Peter curiously “So tell me Spider-boy, where is the lab here?"

Peter raised his eyebrows, “The lab? It's uh, the east wing of the complex. It's not nearly as nice as yours is though.”

Shuri shrugged, “I'm well aware, but I might as well have somewhere to work while I'm here. Here” she held up a large black case “Would you mind carrying this one for me?” 

Peter jumped, “Uh, sure” he shrugged and grabbed the case from her. The teens walked back towards the entrance to the training hall. The two disappeared through the door and were gone. 

Wanda sighed and turned to Bucky, “I'm going to go work on dinner and make sure those two don't get into too much trouble. Will you show Loki around?” 

Bucky nodded, “I guess so” he turned to Loki “You'll be here for at least a couple weeks, and while I'm sure you'd find your way around eventually, a tour would help pass the time” 

Loki nodded in agreement, “It certainly doesn't seem as though there's much to do here besides train and work in a lab, neither of which I'd prefer to do at this moment. A tour would be lovely”

He tilted his head and fixed his gaze on Bucky. He switched into a language that caused a flood of memories in the back of Bucky's mind _“Besides, I feel that we should have a discussion of our own, privately”_

Bucky stared at him with wide eyes as he felt the language fall back into his tongue like lead. Bucky took a deep breath _“Yiddish?”_ he asked softly.

Loki nodded _“I can learn any language the moment I hear it, Yiddish is one I picked up a good few years ago when I visited Earth. When I peeked into your memories I sense that it was spoken around you as a child”_

Bucky took a deep breath, “I guess we really do need to talk” 

A confused scoff from Wanda reminded them that she was still there “Well, I'm going to get back to work. You two obviously would like some alone time.” 

She turned on her heel and flew back up the balcony. Bucky and Loki watched her leave silently. She dropped down and stalked back through the doors to the living room. Bucky sighed “I hope she’s not mad at me.”

Loki pursed his lips “I don’t feel she’s angry with you, maybe irritated that I switched our language to avoid her knowing what we were talking about, but not angry, not yet.”

Bucky internally groaned, “Well let’s get going, we might as well do our tour while we talk.” 

They headed towards the training grounds first. Loki let out a low whistle as he looked around the hangar-sized training hall “This is, surprisingly large” 

Bucky shrugged, “We have airborne fighters, so it's much easier to organize training simulation when all your members can participate and move around easily.”

“Though it is also important for them to train in crowded spaces as well” Loki noted knowingly.

Bucky bit back a sneer, “And that’s why we have the smaller halls, each one of them is specially designed to one of three environments. We have the West hall, the jungle and forest environment. We have the East hall, which is a urban city environment. And then we have the South hall, which can morph to fit almost any simulation; fighting on a boat, on an air ship or plane, alien planets, etc. They're more commonly referred to as the Wakandan, Budapest, and Sim Halls, just so you know.”

Loki smirked, “I see, I presume each name has a story behind it?”

Bucky laughed dryly,e r “You'll hear them soon enough” he stopped in his tracks and looked at Loki warily “For now, since we're far enough away from anyone that we won't have any eavesdroppers, what did you want to talk about?”

Loki brushed his fingertips across a nearby weapons rack, a worried look dawning on his face. Loki looked up at Bucky “How are you feeling James?”

Bucky was more than slightly taken aback. “Fine” he said slowly “Decent at least, and considering everything I went through, I'd say that's pretty good” 

Loki tilted his head, eyes focusing on a nearby blade. “That's no quite what I was asking about” he said cautiously.

Bucky's eyes narrowed, “Then I don't know what you're asking about” he said dangerously low.

Loki inhaled sharply and fixed Bucky with another pointed look ,“Oh I think you do, you just haven't admitted it to yourself’

Bucky's fists clenched and he prepared himself for a fight, “What do you mean?” he snarled.

Loki sighed, “Let me ask you this; have you felt more tired than normal lately?”

“No” Bucky barked.

“Have you been having trouble sleeping?”

“No more than normal”

“What about your mental state?”

“No more fucked up than normal”

Loki's eyes glimmered with anger “What about your physical strength and durability? Feeling more energetic and stronger than normal?”

Bucky felt ice slide down his spine and he struggled to suppress the fear that sparked in his chest. Loki caught him; he grinned with a wicked look “Let me ask you this, James” Loki stepped closer until he was nearly nose to nose with Bucky.

“Where is the Reality Stone?” 

Bucky felt an icy wave crash over him, paralyzing him to the spot. He stared at Loki in fear and confusion “I-” Bucky's breath caught in his throat “-don't know” 

Loki's eyes narrowed “You took it from Thanos, that is what allowed him to be beaten. What did you do with the stone?” Loki demanded an answer harshly, but his eyes betrayed a look of deeper fear and searching.

Bucky took a shuddering breath and tried to search his mind “I-I don't know” he gasped, shaking his head rapidly “I wasn't even half conscious as we escaped Hel, how can you expect me to remember?”

Loki sighed and his eyes trailed down to Bucky's metal arm “You grabbed it with your metal arm, correct?” Loki asked quietly.

Bucky felt a horrible idea spring up in the back of his mind and failed to quell the panic that rose in his chest. Bucky struggled to breath “You don't...you don't think?” 

Loki nodded solemnly and carefully grabbed Bucky's metal wrist. Bucky watched in horror as Loki raised his hand and turned it over, examining the metal. Loki brushed his hand over the back of Bucky's hand and there it was. 

Bucky felt the pulse run up his arm and staggered slightly. Loki gripped Bucky's wrist tighter and they watched as a faint red light appeared at the base knuckle of Bucky ring finger.

Bucky let out a choked gasp, free hand jumping to cover his mouth. Loki shuddered fearfully, “I knew it” he whispered.

Bucky clamped his hand over his mouth and tried to keep down the bile that was rising in his throat. Bucky let out a whine and squeezed his eyes shut. Loki slowly released Bucky's wrist. Bucky felt the blood drain from his body and rocked on his feet. 

Loki pressed a palm to his stomach and took a deep breath “Well, this is terrible” he let out a strangled laugh “But at least I'm not alone” 

Bucky slowly pried his eyes open and stared at Loki in terror. Loki pulled off the glove on his left hand and held it up so Bucky could see. Loki wiggled his fingers and Bucky watched as a blue light flickered beneath Loki's middle finger. Bucky’s blood was boiling, heat flying through his muscles and making them twitch. Bucky groaned and everything went black. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

_Bucky looked at the pile of alien carcasses amassed before him. A nagging thought pulled at the back of his mind with sharp nails. Bucky looked beside him as Loki dumped two more carcasses onto the pile and brushed blood onto his pants with a sigh. Loki looked up at the growing pile, green eyes filled with a mix of emotion._

_Bucky slipped his hand into his pocket and his fingers closed around the dog tags resting inside. Steve, what would he do in this situation? Bucky looked over “Loki?”_

_The Asgardian turned on him, eyebrow raised curiously “Yes?”_

_Bucky took a breath “Why did you save me? You had absolutely no reason to, we'd never even met before, why did you save me from Thanos?”_

_Loki's mouth quirked sadly as he grabbed a broken branch off the ground. Bucky watched as Loki's eyes sparked and a small flame appeared on the end of the branch “Well, it's true I had no prior knowledge of you to motivate my action, but there is something about you that caused it” Bucky's eyes narrowed on Loki and he continued “When I first found you, I was given a… brief insight to who you are, where you've been, and what you've done in your life”_

_Bucky's eyes narrowed even further “And you still saved me? Despite that?”_

_Loki chuckled darkly “Because of that. Do not forget, I too have been a villain. I have killed many and done terrible things. But now I am attempting to make amends for my actions” Loki met Bucky's gaze “Just as you are. And the way you faced down Thanos, despite having already been beaten and killed by him before… That was astounding. However, that was not the true reason I saved you”_

_  
_

_Loki's gaze grew soft “I saw your purpose in life, what you live for…” Bucky inhaled sharply and Loki smiled gently “There is nothing more noble than your purpose, nothing more pure. You live to protect, to comfort, to stay beside him no matter what destiny throws your way… Your love is one of the most beautiful things I have encountered in my over millennia of life… I wanted to save it, so that you may share it with others who do not understand it yet”_

_Bucky saw the flicker of knowing light in Loki's eye and struggled to calm the stir in his chest “Do you… understand it?”_

_Loki mused over the question for a moment, breathing deeply, then he turned back to Bucky. “I believe I'm beginning to”_

_Bucky didn't miss how Loki's eyes flickered back to the healing chamber Wakanda. Bucky smirked “I'm glad, I think after everything you've been through, you deserve it too”_

_Loki didn't reply, but his face twitched as he placed the burning branch on the pile of carcasses. Bucky slipped his knife back into its sheath “Come on, we do not want to end up smelling like charred alien corpses”_

_Bucky started up the hill and was relieved when Loki fell into place beside him. There was something about the Asgardian, while the mere mention of Loki set the other Avengers on edge, his presence actually calmed Bucky. It was a feeling of understanding, like Loki had said. They were both villains trying to redeem themselves from terrible pasts, and they’d both found purpose in protecting the one person they had left to care about. Upon second thought, Loki even reminded Bucky a bit of how he’d been back in the day when he and Steve had lived in Brooklyn. Understanding indeed.  
A flash of red blue caught Bucky’s eye as they crested the hill. Bucky looked down and noticed another Avenger that was still working on clean up. “Oh goddamnit” Bucky spat “Why the hell is he still working? He shouldn’t even be here!”_

_Loki looked over at him in confusion “Who should not be here?”_

_Bucky ignored him and yelled down the hill “Hey kid! What the hell are you doing?”_

_The spider kid looked up at him, eyes wide, and waved “Hey! Are you guys helping with clean up too?”_

_Loki smirked and Bucky rolled his eyes “Get your ass up here, we’ve done enough!” the soldier yelled back._

_“Oh! Okay!” Peter dropped the carcass he was dragging to a nearby pile. He bounded up the hill in a few short strides and stumbled to a stop beside Bucky. He offered them a nervous smile “Hey, uh, I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced” he stuck out a hand “I’m Peter”_

_Bucky smirked and shook his hand. The kid at least had manners “James Barnes, you can call me Bucky”_

_Peter turned to Loki. Loki pulled a diplomatically stoic face and shook Peter’s hand “Loki, Prince of Asgard, rightful king of Jotunheim”_

_Peter’s face dropped “Oh! You’re Thor’s brother! The one who destroyed New York!”_

_Loki’s eye twitched and Bucky could tell he was really struggling not to lose his shit. Bucky decided to save the kid’s skin from a short-tempered god “It’s good to finally meet you not in the middle of a battle, kid, but why didn’t you go home? I’m sure your family is worried sick about you”_

_Peter’s face softened and Bucky was reminded once more how young he was, “I already called my Aunt, don’t worry. I figured I might stay and help out here while I uh, wait, for Mr. Stark.”_

_Bucky sighed “I guess that makes sense; we’re all waiting on someone.”_

_Peter shrugged nervously, “Yeah well, it’s only fair. They did watch us all die.” he glanced at Loki “I believe, am I right Mr. Loki?”_

_Loki’s face contorted, “Mr. Loki? How old do you think I am, boy?” he snapped, arms folded across his chest._

_Bucky could practically see Peter start to sweat, “Uh.. well...um… the… Thirty?” he offered meekly, shrinking in on himself._

_Bucky snorted and Loki blinked rapidly. “Oh. Well, you’re off by a few” Loki sniffed, trying to hide a snide smirk._

_“Really?” Peter asked anxiously “How many? If you don’t mind me asking”_

_Loki pursed his lips “Over a thousand”_

_Peter’s jaw dropped, “Oh” he squeaked, sounding more like a mouse than a boy. Bucky began to seriously doubt if the kid had gone through puberty yet. How old was he again? Fifteen? Way too young to be fighting in an intergalactic war._

_“You look great for your age” Peter chirped, smiling brightly._

_Bucky opened his mouth to suggest they move on before anyone decided to ask his age but he was saved by a warrior goddess. Well, the human version of one. Okoye’s spear thudded against the ground and she leaned into her hip, regarding the trio with sharp eyes “What on Earth are you three doing out here? Even if you can’t use the healing chambers you should still be resting, not doing clean-up duty”_

_Bucky offered her a winning smile “We’re on our way now General, don’t worry” Best part of living in Wakanda? Being surrounded by beautiful and powerful women ready to kick his ass at any moment. It felt like home._

_Okoye sighed and shook her head, “Then get going already, I have better things to do than babysit three incompetent white men with daddy issues”_

_Bucky felt his heart clench, “I guess so” he said meekly._

_Loki saved Bucky from having to sit in an awkward situation “Then we should probably get to the healing chamber so you can reach him faster, huh?” Bucky could tell by the look of Loki’s face that he was definitely impressed by Okoye as well. That kinda made sense, as Loki came from a society of warriors and badass women if Bucky remembered anything Steve had told him about Thor’s stories of Asgard._

_Bucky shot him a grateful look “Alright, let’s get moving”_

_Okoye shook her head before turning and tromping back down the hill. Peter led the trio back towards the city, Loki and Bucky hanging behind him. Loki’s eyes scanned the skies, like he was searching for something._

_Bucky nudged him with his elbow, “Everything alright?” he whispered lowly._

_Loki gave him a startled glare but nodded anyway “Yes, it’s fine”. Bucky noted, but didn’t bring attention to the pale blue light that had occupied Loki’s eyes._


	2. The Teens, the Witch, and the Ex-Villain Duo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Beta team begins to settle into a new routine at the compound. The teens should have better supervision. Nightmares get worse, and a great day turns sour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we´re back! I'm still not sure how I want to schedule posting the new chapters for this ting? But I'm already certain I won't be able to post every week. I am on vacation right now but have to balance my summer work for AP classes and spending time with my family, along with renovating our house, so I didn't get as much done the last week as I would've liked. Good news though, I'm about halfway done with the prologue, so that should hopefully be up within the next few weeks to give some background to this story. I hope you guys enjoy and kudos to anyone who catches any of the many references I made when writing this chapter!
> 
> (Copy and paste these, for some reason I couldn't get the actual links to work. I'll deal w/ it later)  
> Bucky's bike: https://i2.wp.com/designlover.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/triumph-scrambler-13.jpg?fit=660%2C660  
> Steve's bike: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4b/08/2d/4b082d16dde97586df3af944a096a715.jpg

_Five Days Later_  
April 8 2019 9:45  
Personal Lab- Avengers

It only took the compound and its inhabitants a few days to settle into new routines around the absences of those who were gone. Work for the regular agents and workers of the compound continued without a single change; Pepper was still around so she was ensuring that all remained orderly. The main difference was the silence, Bucky noticed. Over the past months he’d become accustomed to every public space in the living areas being occupied almost constantly. Whether it was the common room, kitchen, gym, or training hall, there was almost never an unoccupied area. But then there was; there was too much silence. 

The fact that Bucky could walk through every living space not hear a peep more than once a day was unsettling. Of course he knew why though. Wanda was spending most of her time rotating between helping Pepper, cooking, and training when Bucky would agree to at least monitor her. Loki spent most of his time wandering around the grounds, but always remained in sight of the main building, like he knew Bucky would be watching him, along with occasionally drifting through the labs. Shuri’s habits hadn’t changed with her surroundings; she was sleeping about two hours for every thirty-six as she was in the middle of trying to create an alloy using a mixture of vibranium and samples of Asgardian metal she’d managed to obtain from Thor and the other Asgardians. Peter had a better sleeping and eating schedule, but he was down there with Shuri every waking moment. 

As for Bucky? Bucky had been wandering around aimlessly for most of the past few days. It wasn’t on purpose. He tried training, working out, running, anything to try and exhaust himself so he could rest, but it wasn’t working. Physical exercise only seemed to make him more energized, Bucky was overly-energized; it had only gotten worse since Loki had pointed it out. On the contrary, things that would normally have bored Bucky to death or made him restless seemed to calm him. Bucky had finally been able to get invested in the book Wanda had recommended him. She’d said it was one of her favorites growing up, because it turned typical fairytale ideas on their head. She was right, and Bucky was enjoying it. 

Bucky had also started crossing off movies from the list Sam and the others had compiled for him and Steve. There were some he really liked, such as WALL-E, American Graffiti, and The Godfather, and others he hadn’t enjoyed as much, like Manchurian Candidate (Fuck Tony Stark and his sense of humor), The Room (Sam’s choice), and White Chicks (Nat’s choice). He was going to have to have a word with them about what was a good waste of his time versus bad. Not that it mattered, as he had a large amount of time to waste. Bucky was sleeping even less than normal. 

After five days of wandering around and reading, Bucky finally decided to take Peter up on his offer and drop into the labs. 

Bucky exhaled heavily as the elevator doors slid open and he stepped out into the foyer of the lab. Bucky could hear the overlapping whirring and beeping of various machines at work as he walked through the entrance to the lab. Bucky immediately recoiled as an unpleasant burning smell reached him. 

Bucky turned the corner with an irritated huff. “What the hell are you two doing down-” Bucky froze in his tracks, hand jumping to the knife hidden in his waistband. 

Loki looked up from his workstation, pausing his work with the bunsen burner as he flicked it off. “Hello James, can I help you?” 

Bucky scrambled for words as Loki pushed his work goggles off his face and into his hair “Uh, I was just coming to see what the teens were doing”

Loki’s mouth twitched “They left a few minutes ago as Shuri passed out again and Peter decided she’d sleep better at least on the couch, he should be back down in a few minutes though” 

Bucky nodded, slowly wandering closer to Loki’s workstation. Bucky eyed the few container of metal shavings, and the little clay pot resting above the bunsen burner. “What’re you doing?” he asked cautiously.

Loki tapped the top of a container with shavings in it. “These shavings are from the collection of scrap metal given to Shuri by my brother, she gave up on trying to create an alloy with the two metals she was trying to use and decided to let me try. I suppose she believe that I have some sort of spell or magic that will allow me to create an alloy so she won’t have to do the work” Loki chuckled as he flicked the burner back on with a wave of his hand and peered into the clay pot, “She has yet to understand that magic and science are connected in more ways than she knows.”

Bucky lowered himself into a nearby stool and trained his eyes on the flame beneath the pot “So do you? Have a spell to create the alloy, I mean?” 

Loki tilted his head, his ponytail swishing across his shoulder blades “No, I don’t have a spell. But I do have an idea of how to get the metals to bond into an alloy”

“So that’s what you’re testing now?” Bucky asked, his fingers tapping on the counter beside him. Loki nodded and Bucky scowled slightly “What are you even going to do with the alloy if you manage to make it?”

Loki’s eyes sparked as he carefully dropped a few shavings of one metal into the little pot with tweezers, “Well, it really depends on what the resulting alloy is like. I believe Shuri would like to try and use it to create a new type of armor or protective lining. However, I feel that would be a waste of the Uru’s abilities. That metal is rare, and very valuable, mainly due to the fact it acts as an amplifier of all magic and enchantments.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow, “Then what would you like to see it be used for?”

Loki grinned at Bucky and the soldier subconsciously shrank away from him, “Well first, I’d like to make myself a new weapon, a spear, or a staff, or even a knife or sword. Something I can use to fight, that will equal Stormbreaker in power.” 

Bucky’s eyes narrowed, “Why?”

Loki glanced at him, “Why what, James?”

Bucky huffed, “Why do you need a weapon as powerful as Stormbreaker or Mjolnir? Aren’t you an insanely powerful magician already?”

Loki shook his head, “You do not understand, the weapon will allow me-”

Bucky raised a hand to cut him off, “Let me rephrase that. Why do you need a weapon to make you as powerful as your brother, when you already have an Infinity Stone. Why do you need that power?”

Loki stared at Bucky, eyes churning as he considered Bucky’s point. “I suppose you could be right, I don’t need a weapon to be as powerful with the stone in grasp. However-” Loki paused as he poked the heated metals, inhaling deeply. “It is less about the power, I feel now. It is more, giving myself a solid foundation. It can sometimes be difficult to switch between my learned magic, and natural abilities as a Jotunn. I am hoping a weapon might help me channel them with more ease. It is better to have an unchanging channel of power.” 

Bucky nodded in understanding, “My therapist told me something similar. Find a place to create a routine, something that is okay to remain unchanging all the time, and rely on that for peace of mind. They usually recommend starting with your meals or when you go to sleep, but I guess creating a deadly weapon that will allow you to constantly channel your magic in a singular way could work” Bucky shrugged and looked down at his watch. 

Loki didn't reply with more than a shrug and the pair fell into silence. Bucky was extremely glad when Peter returned a few minutes later and offered to let Bucky look at his spider suit so they could start talking about the mechanisms and tools Tony had installed. Bucky, for once in his life, was ready to go back to school. 

\------------------------------------------------------------  
_One Week Later…_  
April 16th 2019 01:30  
RM 17- West Wing

The screen flickered to life and Bucky watched patiently as what appeared to be a hotel room came into view. Bucky could see Steve's duffel by the window, so he obviously had called the right room, and Steve had his laptop already set up for skyping otherwise Bucky wouldn't have been able to call, Friday wouldn´t have answered right away. Bucky paused and listened to the background noise filtering through the speakers. Running water, Bucky smiled to himself, Steve was in the shower. Bucky sighed contentedly and leaned back against the headboard.

Bucky could hear Steve singing, just like he always did when he showered. Bucky listened to the lilting Gaelic and let himself drift into a light doze. Steve's shower times were one of Bucky's favorite things. Not because sometimes Bucky got to join him and that was fun, but because when he didn't join Steve he'd go sit by the bathroom door and listen to Sarah Roger's lullabies. Bucky would drift into a peaceful lull as he listened and be reminded of the homeliness he so dearly missed.

Then Steve would exit the shower and Bucky would silently slip out of the room. As if Steve didn't know Bucky sat by the door when he showered, as if he hadn't found Bucky asleep there several times and had to carry him to bed. 

It had been less than two weeks since Steve and the others had left but Bucky severely missed his partner. It had only taken a few weeks for him and Steve to settle back into a routine not unlike the one they had in Brooklyn. Steve would occasionally go out on two and three day missions but it was easier knowing exactly when he'd be back. There was no guarantee on time for this one, Tony had said it could even take months to get the Accords settled; Bucky didn't want to wait months before he could see Steve in person again. 

It wasn't just that either. Bucky was not the only Avenger left behind, and there were workers and other allies constantly in and out of the building, but it felt empty. It felt quiet without Sam's sarcasm, and Nat's frigid glare but warm smile. He missed Banner's quiet gentility, and Vision's calming presence. God, Bucky even kinda missed Tony's scathing tone and sharp tongue. It was a strange feeling to miss people; it was strange to have friends, to have a team. Not even the two teenagers who had taken temporary residence were enough to fill the void, though they certainly tried by filling the compound with noise and smoke from explosions. 

Bucky was aware he had promised to check in on the lab and maybe try his hand but he was honestly scared to with how many explosions occurred every day. Even Pepper had shown up at one point to make sure than no one had died after Friday had alerted her of a particularly rough explosion that had rocked the compound. As it turned out the teens had managed to blow an entire wall off the lab, so Pepper had to put her foot down and give them some restrictions on testing. 

Bucky snapped back to attention as the singing stopped and the water turned off. Bucky watched as the door to the bathroom opened a moment later, releasing a puff of steam, and Steve wandered out in a towel.

Bucky bit back a snicker and watched as Steve hummed to himself and dug through his duffel bag.

After a minute of searching Steve sighed in exasperation and let out a tired "Jesus Christ, where did I fucking put them?"

Bucky couldn't help it. He let out a loud laugh and choked on a snort. Steve whirled to face the laptop so fast he nearly fell over, letting out a startled gasp. 

Bucky chuckled as Steve fumbled to retighten his towel with a red face "Jesus, Buck! Don't scare me like that! I could've lost my towel!"

Bucky scoffed, "Like it would matter. It's not as if that's a view I haven't seen before."

Steve's face went even redder as he grabbed a bundle of clothing from the duffel and moved out of camera "It does matter! I don't trust any modern tech because I know Shuri can hack it and God knows that is not something I want on the internet"

"Awww" Bucky crooned in disappointment "No show then? Not even for me?"

Steve's head poked back into frame, a scowl on his face "No". He disappeared out of frame once more and Bucky sighed.

Bucky dropped the laptop at the foot of their bed and shifted so he was on his stomach. He waited for a few seconds, listening to the rustle of Steve's clothing as he dressed. A flying wad of clothing landed in Steve's duffel and Bucky snickered. "He shoots, he scores" Bucky remarked lazily, tapping on his laptop with metal fingers.

Steve's warm laugh came through the other end and Bucky watched as Steve shifted back into frame, now dressed in his suit pants and a cotton t-shirt. Steve sat down in front of the camera and smiled at Bucky with fond eyes "Hey Buck, how are you doing?"

Bucky shrugged "Eh, I'm alright" He paused for a moment, then continued "It’s quieter here than I thought it would be, even with two teenagers around"

Steve smiled a ran a hand through his damp hair "Must be pretty nice having the place practically to yourself"

Bucky hummed uncertainty, "Maybe, but it's also just... weird, and unsettling. I’m glad Wanda stayed behind though, I like her."

"She's a good kid, how's she doing?" Steve asked.

Bucky pursed his lips "She's alright, been baking a lot. And when I say a lot, I mean it. More food than any of us can eat. But I guess it's more healthy than other coping mechanisms"

Steve nodded, "I guess so, I know she and Vision have been talking still but it's likely she's stressed about being in charge. How are the teens doing?"

Bucky exhaled deeply, eyes wide "Well, let's just say if Stark checks his bank account and sees a bill for a construction crew it's because this morning the teens almost blew themselves up and managed to destroy half the lab, which included knocking out an entire wall and support beam."

Steve stared at him with wide eyes "Oh! That's... bad"

Bucky shrugged again "Yeah well, they've only blown themselves up about three times"

"Oh damn"

"A day"

"What?"

"On average"

"Jesus!". Steve groaned and buried his head in his hands "I knew it was a bad idea to let those two spend time together"

"That's kinda why I've been avoiding the lab, don't want to get blown up or become a test subject"

Steve looked up at Bucky curiously, "Then what have you been doing all week? I figured you'd spend most of your time with Shuri."

Bucky set his chin in the crook of his elbow, "Training, reading, cooking, watching movies. Just stuff to keep me occupied."

Steve's mouth quirked in the corner, "Got any new recommendations for me? I have a little more down time over here than I thought I would."

Bucky pondered the question for a moment before responding "Howl's Moving Castle. I just finished the book and then watched the animated movie. Huge differences in the movie but both are extremely good if looked at separately. It's kinda modern fantasy, but set in the early 1900's much nicer than our early 1900's."

Steve smiled softly, "I'll have to check it out."

Bucky's heart ached and he could tell his face had dropped as Steve's grew concerned. "Is everything alright? Was there a particular reason you called?" Steve leaned closer to the screen.

Bucky sighed and rested his cheek against the cool metal of his arm, "I miss you" he admitted weakly.

Steve suddenly looked sad, and slightly angry as well "I miss you too Bucky, believe me when I say there's nowhere I'd rather be right now than with you." 

Bucky felt a tiche of anger at the base of his neck. "But you have a job to do" Bucky said shortly.

Steve nodded, "But I have a job to do". Sensing his partner's growing anger he changed the subject slightly "But, on the bright side, Tony said that we're making enough progress to hopefully be home within the next week and a half! So that's... great."

Bucky snorted, "Yeah, we'll see. Governments tend to be the slowest moving things on Earth." 

Steve sighed and checked his watch. Bucky felt nerves coil in his stomach. "Time to go?" he asked meekly.

Steve nodded sadly, "Yeah, sorry Buck, it's time for the meetings to begin."

Bucky bit the inside of his lip, "Of course it is."

Steve shifted closer to the screen, focusing his beautiful eyes on Bucky "Love you Buck. call me if you need anything, okay?"

Bucky nodded solemnly, "I will. Love you too, Punk." Steve offered Bucky one last smile before the screen went black.

The truth was, there had been a reason he had called Steve, other than wanting to see the light of his life. Bucky had been having nightmares more and more increasingly over the past two weeks. That wasn’t the problem though, he was used to nightmares. But it was the same nightmare over and over again, and unlike anything he’d experienced before. 

He was sitting in complete darkness, his mind fuzzy and filled with cotton. There were six bright lights in the darkness, and muted voices whirling around him. The voices were fearful, and ancient, and overwhelmingly angry. Bucky would pull against his invisible binding with all his strength but it would do nothing. Bucky would scream into the darkness and the voices would stop. Then a cloaked figure would appear from the darkness, crimson eyes glowing beneath its hood. It would beckon to Bucky with a very grisled and gnarly hand and whisper in a voice like grinding stones “ _Come… Come to me_ ”. And Bucky would wake up screaming. 

It started with the nightmare coming once every few days, then every other night, and then every night for the past three days. Each time the figure at the end spoke in a more furious and anxious tone. That night though, Bucky had woken up almost every hour on the dot, each time from the end of the same nightmare. And it terrified the life out of him. 

What was he supposed to do? The nightmare was obviously an omen, or a beckoning, a message. Bucky really didn't want to ignore it. He wanted to be with Steve, to talk it over, work it out, to have Steve with him as he explained to the magic experts what was happening and to have Steve holding him close as said experts tried to figure it out. But there was no Steve, not now, so Bucky was left alone with the fact he really needed to tell someone about his nightmares. Of course Wanda should’ve been the first choice, he trusted her more and knew her abilities better. But the six lights, each was a different color, and Bucky had a feeling his dream had something to do with the Infinity Stones. He was not ready to have that discussion with anyone until Steve got back. So off to visit Loki he went.

Bucky could tell by the lack of smoke smell coming from Loki's room, that combined with the emptiness of the library and common room, that Loki was down in the lab. Bucky figured Loki was working on his current project; testing to see if the alloy he´d created was able to be shaped into usable metal. Bucky had watched Loki’s progress the previous day, and even gotten to help somewhat as Loki had been too grief stricken to melt the last medallion he’d meticulously stowed away. Previous to that point in time Bucky had not been aware that melting metal was extremely relaxing, but it really was, as long as you weren’t afraid of intense heat. Bucky thought Loki was kind of a dramatic bitch, but he also was starting to enjoy his company. Maybe Bucky was really just that desperate for company. 

Bucky crept into the lab, careful to check that Shuri and Peter were not in the main lab before heading towards Loki and his makeshift forge that he’d managed to assemble in the corner. Loki glanced up at Bucky as the soldier picked his way over the disaster zone the teens had left behind. “Good morning James” he greeted distantly, tired eyes falling back to his work.

“Morning” Bucky sighed, dropping into a stool just far enough away to avoid any major sparking but to still be able to watch Loki’s work.

Loki adjusted his goggles as he leaned over and poured the cooling molten concoction in its mold. He carefully tapped the glowing metal with a prong and seemed almost put out when it only slightly sparked “What can I do for you James? You obviously want something.” 

Bucky smirked, “How can you tell?”

Loki chuckled as he leaned back and slid his goggles back onto the top of his head “You would’ve offered to help if you weren’t focused on something else. So, my question stands.”

Bucky took a long moment to gather his words. “Loki” he began slowly “I keep having this, recurring nightmare” Bucky trailed off, shrinking in on himself nervously.

Loki set down his tools and wiped his hands on his apron. His eyes narrowed behind the dark smudges of grime on his face “I’ll presume this is a different type of nightmare than normal if you want to talk about it?”

Bucky nodded, “Yes”

Loki’s mouth twitched “Then why not go ask Wanda? She’s far more equipped to deal with nightmares than I.” He wandered back over to his workstation, back to Bucky as he set down his tools.

Bucky sighed impatiently, “Because I have a feeling you might be having the same nightmare.”

Loki tensed and slowly turned to face Bucky, a wild kind of fear in his light eyes “Darkness?” he asked cautiously.

Bucky nodded “And six lights. Plus voices.”

Loki inhaled heavily and swiftly pulled his apron off. “A figure telling you to come to them” Loki finished, dropping his apron on the nearest stool. 

Bucky nodded, “It has something to do with the Stones, doesn’t it? What else could it be?”

Loki shifted on his feet, arms crossing his chest defensively. “Nothing else” He snarled nervously and paced over to a nearby table. “I thought that if it was only me it might be fine. But if it’s is you having these dreams as well, I fear that we may have a problem on our hands.”

Bucky took a breath, “What do we do?”

Loki shook his head “I don't know, and that's what terrifies me. The message is too vague, and I don't know who they are or where they want us to go. There are far too many bad options to pick from.” 

Loki ran a hand through his hair, dislodging some of it from his ponytail. “For now, I guess we ride this out. If whoever is calling us truly wants us to come they will let us know what else we need to know” Loki murmured.

Bucky nodded, “I guess that’s all we can do.”

Loki sighed and set down his work, “Now, if you’re bored, you might as well take over the main smelting so I can begin on the detailing work.”

Bucky grabbed his goggles and apron from the nearby bench with a frustrated sigh. He took Loki's spot as the Asgardian moved over to the other workbench. As much as he wished Loki had an answer, he recognized that Loki was not an omnipotent god. Plus, Bucky liked working in the forge, and it Loki had any sudden revelations, Bucky was only a few feet away, ready to hear any news, good or bad. 

Working with Loki was, surprisingly pleasant. Bucky could tell when Loki had relaxed as he'd begun quietly humming underneath his breath. It was a nice background noise for Bucky to listen to over the whir of machines and other equipment in the testing area, where he assumed Shuri and Peter were working on the new type of web shooters for Peter. Bucky watched for a moment as the metal began to cool in its mold and he then he set to work. 

Loki and Bucky managed to work in peace for a grand total of fifteen minutes before Shuri and Peter returned to the lab, and the peace was gone. Shuri and Peter were bickering over the design of some mechanism, so of course Loki had to interject with his opinion. It took Loki a grand total of three minutes to get he and Bucky kicked out of the lab by Shuri. They wandered into the clean up station on their way out.

"Woah, no" Bucky stopped Loki as he tried to walk past the sinks "I don't care if you have magic, you can properly wash your hands like everyone else"

Loki paused, eyes wavering nervously. After a moment he consented with a sigh and walked back over to the sinks. Bucky listened to the water run for a moment before moving over to the paper towels. Except that few seconds of movement allowed Bucky to make a startling revelation.

Bucky slowly dried his hands, trying to overcome the overwhelming feeling of guilt that had just risen in his chest. Bucky sighed and rested his hands on the rim of the blow dryer "Well ,now I feel like a complete asshole." 

Loki exhaled heavily as he finished washing his hands "It's not your fault, I could've refused if I was too uncomfortable with it." 

Bucky watched as Loki dried his hands with a flick of the wrist. Loki continued "Though if you could refrain from telling the others I would appreciate it"

Bucky nodded, "Of course. That's not my business, and I wouldn't want anyone to do that to me either, so I get it."

Loki raised an eyebrow and glanced at Bucky's metal arm "I suppose it's probably easier to hide marks when you only have one flesh wrist"

Bucky shrugged, "Somewhat, but that doesn't mean there aren't other places" he said in a low tone.

Loki's gaze softened sadly, "Unfortunately, I know."

They were both silent for a moment before Bucky spoke again. "Forgive me for asking, you don't have to answer" Bucky swallowed thickly "But... Why?" He motioned to Loki's arms as the Asgardian rolled his sleeves down.

Loki sighed "It is.... many things. Feelings of guilt, regret, self-hatred. The knowledge that my actions caused the deaths of both my parents, and extreme suffering by my brother. It is nightmares, and other dark things ingrained in me from my time with the-" Loki choked on his next word and Bucky felt a stir of familiarity "Chitauri"

Bucky took a moment to reply, "The Chitauri, that's the species you controlled when you attacked Earth?"

Loki huffed nervously, "More as though they controlled me". Bucky was silent as he waited for an explanation, so Loki continued "Thanos used his Chitauri minions to gain control over my mind, to beat it into submission. There are very few days I don't wish I had actually died when I fell of the bifrost after my defeat on Asgard" 

"So, you were beaten and tortured into doing things you didn't want but had no control over" Bucky bit back a disbelieving laugh.

Loki tilted his head, "You could phrase it that way, but you see why I don't"

Bucky scowled at him, "No, I really don't."

Loki fidgeted with his jacket "Because that makes me sound like a victim". He shook his head "And I am no victim. I chose this path, though I had no idea it would lead where it had. I chose to try and knock my brother down a peg, fearing the man he could become had he become king when originally planned. It was merely a series of accidents that brought me to the point of fighting my family, to dying, to being found by Thanos."

Bucky glared at him "But you didn't choose any of your other punishments, you didn't decide to suddenly attack Earth. That's why you came back to yourself now isn't it? Because you didn't choose?"

Loki shook his head with a short laugh "Do not attempt to parallel our stories, James. Though they are somewhat similar, there are a few key differences. I chose to betray my family, and my people. You never chose anything"

Loki snarled angrily as he moved towards the door "You are a victim, I am a villain"

Bucky watched him leave with wide eyes, silence thick in the room. "Well that's a load of bull. But I guess he hasn't gotten to acceptance yet" Bucky sighed "It only took me two years to get past denial, I guess it might take an immortal longer, since he has time for that”. Bucky shook his head and followed Loki out the door. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 _The Next Morning_  
April 9 2019 10:30  
Avengers Common Room

The home vacation was about to take a foreboding turn for the worse. Of course it was, it had been an amazing morning up to that point, Bucky and Steve had a nice long chat and Steve said they might get back on time, Wanda made waffles for breakfast, and Bucky had gotten to have a long chat with Peter about Thermodynamics during a study break. Why shouldn’t the universe decide to crap on Bucky’s day. It liked to ruin his life.

Bucky was in the common room with Wanda and Loki, sitting down with his and Steve’s list of missed media to decide what movie to watch. Loki sighed and sank back into the couch “I can’t believe the children kicked us out of the lab. We were just trying to help!”

“I was trying to work, you were the one pestering Shuri. Again” Bucky grumbled under his breath as Wanda passed him his drink. Bucky sipped his coffee and looked at Wanda suspiciously “Did you put anything in here?” 

Wanda shot him a stink-eye as she gave Loki his tea “No, it’s just coffee. You don’t need alcohol at 9 in the morning”

Bucky scoffed and sipped his coffee angrily, “It’s five o’clock somewhere, isn’t it?”

Loki chuckled “It’s always five somewhere, doesn’t mean you should be drinking”

Bucky flipped him off, “Pot to kettle, you day-drinking bitch”

Wanda smacked Bucky’s arm “Hey! Be nice!”. She shot a glare at Loki “You too. We’re going to have a great time watching…” she checked the tv description again “...Rent, and we’re going to love it. Also, tissues are by the arm of the couch just in case we need them. Pepper said we’re probably going to cry”

Bucky grumbled underneath his breath and sipped his coffee disdainfully. Loki curled himself into his chair, back to Wanda and Bucky. Wanda sighed and settled into her position before grabbing the remote and pressing the play button. She hoped the boys would relax enough for her to be able to enjoy the movie without feeling like she was in the range of crossfire.

The movie, was actually really good. Amazing, Wanda would go as far as saying. But the fact that she was sobbing about halfway through when Angel died was probably enough evidence of that. As for the boys, well, they definitely calmed down. Wanda could sense great sadness and melancholy radiating from Bucky during the life support scene and unconsciously reached for his hand. She was relieved when Bucky didn’t freeze up and held her hand until after Roger moved to Santa Fe. Wanda guessed he thought she was the one that needed comforting. Once an older brother, always an older brother it seemed.

Wanda didn’t sense anything from Loki until the middle of “Your Eyes” when she felt a trickle of sadness from Loki that soon turned into an overwhelming and crushing amount by the end of the song. Wanda was tempted to grab his hand as well but figured she might get stabbed, so she didn’t. She ended up going through almost an entire box of tissues by the end of the movie. Why was this fact important? Because it establishes an idea of just how terrible Wanda looked when an Emergency Call popped up on the screen and why Wanda dove over the back of the couch when it did.

Friday’s voice interrupted the finale of the movie, the Emergency Call icon popped up on the screen “ _Emergency Call from the Guardians of the Galaxy, should I accept?_ ”

Bucky and Loki jumped to their feet as Wanda frantically crawled over the back of the couch and dropped off the edge with a yelp. “Answer call” Bucky commanded “And turn on the lights”

The lights in the room flashed back to full brightness as the screen shifted. Peter Quill’s face appeared extremely close to the screen, the top of the raccoon’s head visible as Peter squinted at the screen. Peter tapped the screen “Hey! Is this thing working?!” he barked. 

The raccoon irritably yelled “Give me that!’ and snatched the screen from Quill’s hands. Bucky and Loki watched as the screen zoomed out and both Guardians came into view. “Can you bozos hear us?!” Rocket yelled. 

Loki glared at the screen and rolled his eyes “Yes we can, Rabbit. There’s no need to yell”

Quill was taken aback “Rabbit?”. He scowled at Loki “Hold on, are you- are you _Thor’s_ brother? The one he thought was dead?”

Wanda slowly rose to her feet and watched the screen nervously as she tried the adjust herself. Loki sighed “I am, and my companions are the Scarlet Witch and uh-” he glanced at Bucky, unsure of what to call him. 

“Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier” Bucky finished, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Hey!” Rocket laughed “I remember you! That arm for sale yet?” he motioned to Bucky’s arm.

Bucky deadpanned “No, it never will be”

Rocket growled “Damnit”

Quill smacked Rocket’s arm and stage-whispered harshly “Why do you even want his arm? What are you going to use it for?”

Loki cleared his throat to get their attention “If you two don’t mind stating your business, we were in the middle of something. And I’d hate to have to report that you used the Emergency Call system without valid reason and get your little crew banned from it” he spat.

Bucky stared at Loki with wide eyes, but let the Guardians state their case before saying anything himself. Quill sombered, dark eyes focused on them “We have a slight problem”

Both Loki and Bucky stiffened. “And what might that be?” the Asgardian asked, stepping closer to the screen.

Quill sighed and rubbed his neck nervously “It’s Gamora, she’s gone”

The three Avengers exchanged glances; Bucky spoke next “What do you mean she’s gone? She was kidnapped? Or did she leave?”

Rocket shook his head “We don’t know, disappeared in the middle of the night a few weeks back, haven’t seen her since”

Quill’s grip tightened on his pant legs “Gamora and I had a fight right before she disappeared so I figured she might’ve just needed some time to cool off. But then I realized that we were in the middle of space at the time and our only escape pod is still attached to the ship, so there’s no way she left, not without help.”

Wanda rounded the edge of the couch “How are we supposed to help you find her? We can’t exactly send out a universal broadcast to help you find her.”

Quill sighed “We were hoping that you might be able to send Dr. What’s-his-name to come help us, you know, the one who used to have the Time Stone. We’d contact him directly but-” Quill shrugged “we don’t have a way to do that.”

Loki nodded, mouth curling into a displeased look “Easy enough, much as I don’t like Strange, he is decently powerful and should be able to help you. Where are you now? So we know where to send him.”

“We’re docked in the east end of Knowhere right now” Rocket barked, crossing his arms. “Thought we might see if anyone had heard or seen her. Turns out they hadn’t. If you hear anything, let us know.”

Bucky nodded, “We will. For now, good luck. Dr. Strange will be on his way as soon as possible to help you find Gamora.”

Quill nodded to Bucky “Thank you”. Quill turned back to Loki “You. You’re less… perfect, than your brother. I like you better, just for the record. Feel free to rub that in his face” 

A sly smile crept onto Loki’s face “Believe me, I most definitely will”

The call ended and the screen went back to the movie, which was paused on an awkward closeup of Joanne’s face. Wanda sighed “I’ll go call Strange since he likes me the best of those of us here, don’t finish the movie without me.” Wanda sent them each a warning glare before waltzing out of the room and towards the conference rooms. 

Bucky met Loki’s gaze the second Wanda was out of earshot “You don’t think-”

Loki cut him off with a curt nod, “Exactly, Gamora was sacrificed for the Soul Stone. It would make perfect sense for her to have it now. But why would she disappear?”

“Maybe she was afraid?” Bucky suggested “I mean I’m fucking terrified of what might happen if the others find out, when they find out.”

Loki rested his hand against his chin, “Or maybe it was something to do with the dreams, if there are more people who have the rest of the Infinity Stones, then it is likely they’ll be having the dreams as well. She could’ve figured hers out and answered the call.”

Bucky sighed “It just feels weird. I don’t know Gamora very well, we only met the one time in Hel, but she doesn’t seem like she’s the type to run off without explanation, or to-” Bucky was cut off by his phone buzzing in his pocket. “Hold on” he told Loki as he pulled his phone out and answered the call “Hello?” 

Pepper Pott’s warm and calming voice came through the phone, “Hello James, it’s Pepper. Are you busy at the moment?”

Bucky glanced at Loki, who shrugged and moved towards the kitchen “No, not really. Why?”

“Well, I have some things I’d like to talk to you about and I was thinking we could discuss them over lunch. I know a nice little spot only a few minutes from the compound we could go to” Pepper explained “As long as you’re interested.”

Bucky felt a wave of calm wash over him. He liked Pepper, she kinda reminded him of his mom, and of Peggy; it was a good way to keep him focus and relaxed. Bucky felt a small smile drift onto his face “That sounds perfect, when do you want to meet up?”

“I’m just around the corner from the store and I’m sending you the directions as well. If you’re okay with waiting, Happy could be at the compound in about ten minutes?” 

Bucky shook his head despite the fact he was on the phone and knew Pepper couldn't see it. “I’ll just take my bike, it’d be rude to keep you waiting” Bucky was almost surprised to hear a long forgotten suaveness dip back into his voice. He felt a smug smile slip back on his face.

Pepper laughed lightly “Alright then, I’ll see you soon.”

“See ya’ soon Pepper.” Bucky pulled the phone away from his ear as the call ended. 

Loki was watching Bucky from his spot leaning against the door frame, popping small, multi-colored marshmallows into his mouth “Lunch date with the future Mrs. Stark?”

Bucky nodded “Yeah, apparently she wants to talk to me about some stuff.”

Loki chuckled and dumped and handful of marshmallows in his mouth. “That should be entertaining, I wonder what she has planned for you.”

Bucky shrugged, heading towards the door “Who knows.” He paused in the doorway and looked back at Loki “Make sure you buy more of those, or send in the order for them. They’re Natasha’s, she’ll probably kill you if you eat them and don’t get more.”

Loki pursed his lips “That’s good to know. Have fun on your date. And don’t kill anyone.”

“Same to you” Bucky sighed and exited the room. 

After a short elevator ride and walk down to the main garage Bucky was able to step inside the “personal” and “smaller” garage Tony had built for the compound. What that really meant was that Tony wanted a place to put his six extremely expensive sports cars that was close enough for him to take a joy ride at any point in time. But after some convincing the garage now housed both Steve and Bucky’s motorcycles, several regular bicycles, and three beater cars (one of which Tony had been using to make sure Peter was learning to drive properly). Tony’s sport cars had been moved to a separate garage on the far edge of the property, as far away from the main training grounds as possible. Bucky grabbed his keys from the wall rack and grinned as he made his way over to his bike. It was a brand new Triumph Bonneville T120 that Bucky had been able to fully customize to his liking. Black steel, black leather on all the accessories and seat, off road tires, and a special pack of add-ons to make the bike look older and “classic”. It wasn’t meant for speed, but it was fun to ride. Not to mention it looked badass, way cooler than Steve’s at least. 

Steve had gotten a custom Triumph Bonneville Bobber with its “Old School Inspiration Kit”, which was the more extra version of what Bucky had gotten. While the bike itself wasn’t too bad, the kit that Steve had added made it worse. He’d gotten ape-hanger handlebars, which made the bike perfect and comfortable for riding. But not for racing. Racing on a bike with ape-hangers made you look stupid and Bucky had told Steve that so many times that Steve had threatened to stop going on rides with him altogether. So instead Bucky just bottled that feeling inside, which was okay cause he figured there was no way it could turn into a massive problem later in life.

_Fun fact: Bucky was often wrong when it came to his own feelings. But that’s a topic for later_

It took Bucky exactly seven minutes and thirteen seconds to get to the restaurant after he left the compound. Granted, he went just a little faster than the speed limit at some points, but the population in the area around the compound was so low that there were very few other people on the roads and even fewer law enforcement. 

Bucky pulled up in front of the building and was honestly surprised. It was a ramshackle old building that looked like it hadn’t been updated in decades but was still well traveled judging by the noise coming from inside and the array of people sitting on the picnic tables lined up out front of the building. It hardly looked like the type of place Pepper would come.

But there she was, tucked against the brick wall in the shade. Her strawberry blonde hair was thrown back in a loose bun and she was wearing workout clothes, her eyes hidden behind dark glasses and a ball cap. Easy way to blend in against the untrained eye, but Bucky wasn’t untrained. Expensive workout clothes, designer sneakers, expensive glasses, and perfectly manicured nails. Anyone who was trained in some sort of espionage would recognize her instantly. The ball cap also happened to be one that Bucky saw Tony wear regularly when he was in public and trying to avoid being recognized. Also, she was extremely pregnant. 

Bucky parked his bike around the side of the building and hopped off. Now that his hair and beard were so long, and he was out of the news for the most part, Bucky didn’t really have to worry about being recognized. So he’d ditched any sort of disguise and just made sure that his pistol and knife were carefully hidden in his clothes. Just in case, Bucky had opted for his usual brown leather jacket with a black hood and a pair of black gloves to hide his arm. And he’d grabbed his aviators on the way out.

Bucky rounded the corner of the building and saw that Pepper was waiting by the door to the shop with a warm smile. Pepper pulled Bucky into a soft hug “Hello James, good to see you.”

Bucky pulled back and offered her a meek smile “Good to see you too Pepper.”

Pepper’s smile grew “I figured you probably haven’t eaten much today, so I ordered us both my usual. Don’t worry though, you’ll like it. This place has the best frosties in the area, hence the name “King of the Frosties”. I've been spending quite a bit of time down here; I've been craving fries and frosties almost every day.”

Bucky chuckled “Not the worst pregnancy cravings I've heard of. But now I see why Tony likes you so much, you keep him from starving to death when he gets tunnel vision on his projects.” Bucky said with fake enthusiasm. 

Pepper scoffed and rolled her eyes, “More like I run his entire company and he doesn’t have to do much besides show up to press conferences.”

Bucky shrugged, “Yeah, well, I guess he also loves you.”

Pepper laughed lightly, “I hope so, otherwise this whole marriage and parenthood thing is going to be painful.”

They both dissolved into quiet laughter and a momentary silence fell between them. Pepper then broke it with a new question “Which reminds me, how are things between you and Steve?”

Bucky smiled secretly, “They're great…”. He paused, mind flashing back to a few vivid memories “They're okay… ish” he admitted.

Pepper raised her eyebrows over the top of her glasses, a concerned look on her face. “What's going on?” She asked quietly, arms folding across her chest.

Bucky sighed and was given a few more seconds to think as a server delivered their order, two chocolate frosties and a small basket of fries for each of them. Pepper motioned towards a nearby table with her head and Bucky followed as she moved to sit down. Bucky slid into the seat across from Pepper and sighed as he shoved a fry in his mouth.

Pepper took a sip from her milkshake before turning back to him “If you don't want to talk about it, I understand. But remember that I am always an open ear.”

“It's not you that's the problem” Bucky ran gloved hand through his hair and fluffed it in the back “I just… don't really have the words.”

Pepper sighed and placed her hands across the top of her cup “I get it, my relationship with Tony has been, rocky, to say the least. And it hasn't gotten easier now that we're about to become parents. It can be hard to explain, take your time James.” 

Bucky took a deep breath and stirred his frostie before taking a sip. He took another breath as the sweet flavor settled across his tongue “For the most part, Steve and I are okay. We've settled into a comfortable routine, not unlike the one we had when he visited me in Wakanda, or when we lived together in Brooklyn. It is different this time though, now that we're actually” the words stuck on Bucky's tongue “a couple.”

“And Steve is doing a better-than-necessary job when it comes to dealing with me and my numerous problems. And he's even starting to trust me with his own, which is good.” Bucky finished.

Pepper caught the unspoken word “But?”

“But-” Bucky dipped his head “the biggest problems in our relationship are kinda going… unaddressed?”

“Like?”

Bucky scoffed irritably “Like the fact Steve refuses to refer to me as his significant other in front of _anyone_? Even the rest of the team? Despite the fact they all already know. Like how last month Steve was interviewed by some famous reporter and actually _made up_ some bullshit story about having a _girlfriend_ that he was settled down with?” Bucky unconsciously pressed his tongue to the back of his teeth as he tried to contain his anger “And when I asked him about it he shrugged me off and said it was because “ _he didn't want to ruin Captain America's reputation_ ” As if that was any fucking explanation?”

Pepper stared at Bucky with wide eyes, but understanding “Yes, that statement confused quite a few members of the Avengers, especially those who live off-compound. I got calls from Scott and Clint and a few others asking about it. I ended up saying that I had a meeting to attend and would answer them later. But I never did, I couldn't.” 

Bucky buried his face in his hand “And the thing is, it sucks. It hurts, and I don't think Steve gets how much it does hurt. I understand he is still deathly afraid on getting a homophobic reaction from just about anyone, and it makes sense because it's me, and because I'm an international criminal and still wanted in more than a few countries for my crimes” Bucky clenched his metal fist “But I- I am so ready, to be with Steve, and to finally be accepted for who I am, because I was closeted my entire time in Brooklyn and then the Soldier wasn't allowed to even think about that sort of stuff outside of how it could further a mission… and now that we are free to express ourselves how we want, and be with who we want… Steve is refusing to, and is refusing to allow me to as well. And I get that he's Captain America and he has a facade to maintain…”

Pepper rested a hand atop Bucky's clenched fist, “But it still hurts.” 

Bucky nodded slowly and numbly sipped his frostie, which was beginning to melt in the warm sun. Pepper continued “I can't say I know what you should do to help with that, it's not exactly a problem Tony and I have had. True, a large portion of the population was shocked when Tony revealed that we were dating since I wasn't a supermodel, or Playboy Bunny, or anything of the sort, but it wasn't anything like what you and Steve would- will go through. I understand Steve fears losing support for Cap since America really is still working on the whole “acceptance” thing when it comes to anything LGBT+.”

“But I understand how that is causing you pain and tension between you two. And it's not as if it is something that will never come up again, it will. My best advice is to talk to him about it, and if he leaves, pin him down in a situation where he can't leave and force him to talk. Steve is not one for deep conversation, even when he knows it's needed. Why do you think he and Tony have so many issues getting along? Besides the difference in personality and morals” Pepper patted Bucky's hand “Steve loves you more than anything, I'm sure he would hate knowing he is causing you more pain.”

Bucky exhaled deeply and nodded. Then he shook his head “I'm sorry, you shouldn't have to listen to me vent and ruin our lunch date. You wanted to talk to me about something didn't you?” 

Pepper's face brightened slightly and she pulled a tablet out of her purse, “I have a couple things I wanted to talk to you about actually.”

She set the tablet down in front of her and placed her hands on either side of it “So”

“So?” Bucky asked 

“So, I've been thinking” Pepper smiled almost mischievously “Ever since the end of the war the world has kinda been in a constant state of worry, that's obvious. The public is also more than slightly curious, but worried, about the new Avengers lineup. We have yet to make a public statement on who exactly fought with the Avengers during the war, and who is actually an ally. So I was thinking we finally make that announcement.”

Bucky glared at Pepper, confusion evident on his face, “And you wanted to talk to me about this why?”

Pepper's eye gleamed and Bucky leaned back slightly “I don't want to announce it in a regular and boring way”

“I don't think regular or boring is necessarily a bad thing Pepper, people might just want a plain answer” Bucky warned. 

Pepper scoffed “No. I want to do this an interesting and engaging way. I want to give the public not just the names of those who fight to protect them, but more of an insight as to who you all are as people. I want the public to feel like they actually know you, and can trust you. This is especially important for you and Wanda and anyone else with a bad track record because it'll help the public trust you more. The reason I want your help is because I want you to be the guinea pig”

Bucky tensed, “What exactly would I be a guinea pig for?”

Pepper tapped on the tablet screen and a picture of a young woman popped into the screen “This is Elizabeth Brant, she's an astounding young journalist and director on the rise. She's worked with the Stark company before on several other things, such as settling the metaphorical fires after Tony's run-ins with the Mandarin and that whole mess. I've been chatting with her recently and she has an idea on how to introduce the new Avengers roster to the public.”

“I'm listening” Bucky told her before shoving more fries in his face.

“We were thinking that we should make each member a short film.” Pepper smiled and Bucky choked on his fries. “We want to give the backstory for each of you, give an idea of what you've come through to be where you are. We want to humanize you for the public eye. We also want to show how the team interacts, who works with who the best, just kind of, who you are as people” Pepper explained.

“So, you want to turn is into sitcom stars?” Bucky asked cautiously “I really don't see how that will work. And how are we supposed to film stuff like that when nearly the entire team is gone?”

Pepper grinned at him “We use Tony's latest, non-weapon related creation. The BARF system. It basically allows the user to walk through their memories in a physical setting. It's made for dealing with traumatic events and people with severe mental problems. But we could use it to essentially project memories for the test run.” Pepper swiped the screen and a picture of another woman popped up “This is Patty Jenkins. She's an amazing director who has agreed to work with us on this project”

Pepper's face dropped into a more serious look “I want you to be the test subject because you have the darkest story out of almost everyone, and we need to know how to handle that before we start play around with ideas for other members. If you agree it'll only take about two days to get the main film since we get to use million dollar technology, and then you'll be free to go back to whatever you've been doing.”

“Even two days would be a welcome break” Bucky chuckled “I'm tired of having to babysit the teens and make sure they don't blow anything else up”

Pepper deadpanned, “Please make sure someone watches them though, I do not want to have to pay for the lab to be replaced again so soon. Nor do I want either of them to end up dead.”

Bucky shook his head, hair flicking in his eyes “Don't worry, Wanda is able to keep a much closer eye on them than I can anyway, with her sixth sense.” 

Pepper sighed, “I'm glad, I knew bringing those two together could be risky but I didn't think they were going to blow up the lab within a few weeks of meeting.”

“Yeah, that's more of a after a few months deal” Bucky said sarcastically. 

Pepper rolled her eyes behind her glasses, “As for the other reason I wanted to talk to you, it's rather simple. How's Loki doing?”

Bucky was slightly taken aback “How's he doing? Well, he's not causing any trouble. He's being relatively respectful to everyone. He's been helping Shuri and Peter keep their projects from exploding, so I guess that's good. I mean, he's still definitely an ass a lot of the time, but we haven't had any real trouble with him.” 

Pepper exhaled deeply, obviously relieved “I'm glad to hear it. The main team has been bugging me almost constantly to make sure everything is alright over here.”

Bucky's heart clenched, “Really? But you're hardly ever at the compound? Why wouldn't they just ask one of us who's living there?”

Pepper shrugged, “Maybe they think you won't tell them, that you're really determined to prove you can be trusted with a responsibility like running the compound. And to be fair, we haven't told them about the lab yet, so maybe they have a point.”

Bucky sighed, “I guess so. Though I kinda mentioned it to Steve already.” 

They both jumped when a horn honked and they realized Happy had pulled the car up to the curb. Pepper sighed “That would be my cue, I have my meeting with Patty and Elizabeth in an hour to let them know about your decision and so we can start planning.”

“Well then, thanks for lunch” Bucky told her, rising to his feet.

Pepper rose to her feet as well, “Anytime, especially when you need to talk, just call me.” 

They side-hugged briefly (to avoid Pepper's baby belly) before Pepper moved towards the black car. Pepper paused as she opened the door and looked back at Bucky “I'll let you know what days we'll need you for filming as soon as we figure it out. In the meantime, keep the teens safe and watch out for any more calls.”

Bucky saluted her, “Will do, ma'am.”

Pepper laughed and shook her head as she climbed in the car. Bucky watched silently as the door closed behind her and the car pulled away from the curb. His sniper eyes followed the car until it disappeared from sight around the bend in the road. Bucky then cleared the garbage from the table and finished his food in a few short seconds so he could dump it as well.

He’d have to remember this place, the frosties were extremely good, and he was sure that the others would enjoy them too. Maybe he’d even be able to talk Steve into driving out with him? Sharing a frosty and fries and sitting close and just talking? The idea made Bucky’s heart flutter a bit and he almost cursed himself for feeling like a schoolgirl with a crush, until he remembered that he was in love and that was perfectly okay considering how insane their lives were normally. A little domesticity never hurt anyone. 

In less than a minute Bucky was back on his bike and headed back to the compound, mind drifting away from him and Steve and back towards the looming fear that came with the idea of the power hidden away deep in his body, and deep within the bodies of five others. 

Upon arriving back at the compound Bucky locked his bike in the garage and headed back up into the living quarters. As he walked by the common room he heard a familiar movie playing and peeked his head inside. Peter and Shuri had joined Loki and Wanda in the common room and it were watching The Lion King. Bucky chuckled, knowing that Peter had been pushing Shuri to watch it so he could see her reaction. Shuri had continually refused because she didn’t watch any movies depicting Africa unless they were made in Africa by an African. 

Bucky chuckled and crept inside the room. Loki glanced at him and nodded in welcoming before turning back to the movie. Wanda caught Loki’s movement and turned around in her seat. She smiled at Bucky and patted the couch beside her. Bucky hopped over the back of the couch and settled down between her and Shuri, who was looking less than impressed by Simba and Nala’s duet during “Can you feel the love tonight”. 

Shuri groaned as Nala and Simba ran through a large grass field “Oh come on! I refuse to believe that after years of his absence because he _ran away_ she forgave him that quickly!”

Loki shot a glare in her direction, “I swear by Odin’s beard, if you do not shut up with your negative commentary I’m going to use a spell on you that will.” he snapped.

Shuri glared at him, “Oh really?! I’d love to find out what the main Avengers would think of that little threat.”

Peter sighed from his spot on the couch in between them, “Come on guys, can’t we just enjoy the movie in peace?”

Bucky shook his head and pulled open the Avengers main group chat. It didn’t have every member in it, mind you, just the ones that lived on base. It was most often used for debating what takeout to order. Bucky quickly typed a message and sent it.

> **_Bucky:_**
> 
> **The compound received an Emergency Call from the Guardians this morning. From what we were told Gamora has gone missing without warning or explanation. They were only calling to ask us to send Strange their way but thought you all might want to know**

Tony answered back barely thirty seconds later with:

> **_Iron Man:_**
> 
> **Thanks for the report**

**Although I’ve met the whole group before and it wouldn’t surprise me if she finally lost it and left them**

The group chat started blowing up with other answers

> **_Thor:_**
> 
> **THAT IS UNFORTUNATE INDEED I WILL ASK HEIMDALL TO TRY AND FIND HER AS WELL**
> 
> **_Hawkeye:_**
> 
> **Thor, turn off your caps lock**
> 
> **_Black Widow: ___**
> 
> ____
> 
> **Nice job Barnes ;)**
> 
> ____
> 
> **_Falcon:_**
> 
> ____
> 
> **Nat, no one uses that type of emoji anymore**
> 
> **_Thor:_**
> 
> **I LIKE THE EMOJIS AS WELL**
> 
> ____
> 
> **I HAVE LEARNED TO USE MANY OF THEM**
> 
> ____
> 
> **_Vision:_**
> 
> ____
> 
> **A demonstration will not be necessary Thor**
> 
> ____
> 
> **_Thor:_**
> 
> ____
> 
> **(insert sad face emoji)**
> 
> ____
> 
> **_Princess Shuri of Wakanda:_**
> 
> ____
> 
> **Aren’t y’all supposed to be in a meeting to decide our fates rn?**
> 
> ____
> 
> **_Black Panther:_**
> 
> ____
> 
> **It is past seven here in Vienna, we have been released for our dinner reservations**
> 
> ____
> 
> **And do not speak with such American informality**
> 
> ____
> 
> **_Falcon:_**
> 
> ____
> 
> **Wait??? You guys have reservations???**
> 
> ____

__  
__  


Bucky smiled as a secondary notification popped on his screen, a message from Steve. Bucky clicked on it and his phone shifted to his and Steve’s conversation.

____

__

> ____
> 
> **_Steve:_ **
> 
> ____
> 
> **Great job dealing with Guardians Buck, I’m proud of you**
> 
> ____
> 
> **How was your day other than that?**
> 
> ____
> 
> **_Bucky:_**
> 
> ____
> 
> **It was good, watched a movie this morning with Wanda that was really good, but also sad. Then I went out to lunch with Pepper. Now those of us on base are watching the Lion King and listening to Shuri critique every detail**
> 
> ____
> 
> **_Steve:_**
> 
> ____
> 
> **I’m glad you spent some time with Pepper, she’s an amazing lady. As for Shuri, good luck**
> 
> ____
> 
> **_Bucky:_**
> 
> ____
> 
> **Yeah, we might need it. Even I’ll admit she’s being annoying. How’d the meetings go today?**
> 
> ____

__  
__  


Steve took a moment longer to respond that Bucky liked and he was able to predict what was coming next by the upset feeling that knotted his stomach.

____

__

> ____
> 
> **_Steve:_**
> 
> ____
> 
> **Not good**
> 
> ____
> 
> **Everything was going smoothly until the Prime Minister of Canada decided to point out that the US has an automatic edge on every other country simply because our base is over here. It looks like we might’ve just been set back even more**
> 
> ____

__  
__  


Bucky took a deep breath and slowly typed back an answer

____

__

> ____
> 
> **_Bucky:_ **
> 
> ____
> 
> **Any idea how long that setback could be?**
> 
> ____

__  
__  


Steve’s answer took even longer to arrive and Bucky rested his face in his hands, eyes squeezed tightly shut. Bucky’s phone buzzed when Steve’s answer arrived but it took him a solid minute to be able to look at it. Bucky slowly pried his eyes open and looked at his messages

____

__

> ____
> 
> **_Steve:_ **
> 
> ____
> 
> **A week**
> 
> ____
> 
> **At least**
> 
> ____
> 
> **We could be gone another month at this rate**
> 
> ____

__  
__  


Bucky felt seriously sick. Chills, fever, shaking, and nearly puking kind of sick. Bucky felt anxiety rising in his chest and then realized it could also be bile. Bucky choked down a groan as the room began to wave in front of his his eyes. Judging by the look of concern Bucky could halfway make out on Wanda’s face, it wasn’t the room that was waving. Bucky vaguely felt Wanda’s hand on his shoulder as his muscles in his shoulders and neck began to to stretch and tighten uncomfortably. He was having a panic attack.

____

Bucky opened his mouth to ask for water or for them to pause the movie or anything to help his current sensory overload. He gagged and slammed his mouth shut. The movie was blaring in his ears, the bright colors attacking him. The feelings continued to overwhelm and batter Bucky for an unending moment. And then they slowly began to fade, and the world became clear again. 

____

The movie had been paused and the tv turned off. Bucky could begin to feel Wanda and Shuri both rubbing his back. Loki was crouched in front of Bucky, offering a water bottle and speaking softly. He could vaguely hear Peter rummaging around in the kitchen cabinets, probably searching for the emergency xanax or vicodin that Tony kept stashed around the compound in case he had a panic attack himself. 

____

Bucky had to commend the kid for actually finding it, Bucky had been pretty sure that he and Nat had been the only ones to find it. That was because they had very similar training and were trained to scope out and overturn every centimeter of a building. 

____

Bucky took a deep breath and felt his head begin to clear. He took another breath and his vision stopped wavering. Inhale, his muscles began to stop quaking. Exhale, the bile began to recede. Bucky was able to take the water bottle from Loki with quaking hands and sip some. 

____

After a few more minutes and a xanax Bucky felt himself begin to settle back into normalcy. Bucky squeezed Wanda’s hand where it rested on his shoulder. “Thank you” he croaked “All of you”

____

Loki nodded as he rose to his feet; Peter still looked extremely nervous from his spot beside Loki. Wanda sighed “What happened? If you don’t mind me asking. This was pretty sudden”

____

Bucky took a deep breath and another swig of water, “I was texting Steve, and I asked about how the meetings were going” Every person in the room stiffened “There was another huge setback today and Steve says, at this rate, they could be gone another month.”

____

“What?” Peter asked frantically “Are you serious? “

____

Bucky nodded “Completely, and that’s why I freaked out… I may not seem like a clingy person, but when it comes to Steve…” Bucky nodded lazily. 

____

Wanda nodded in understanding, “We get it, I think we all have someone like that.”

____

A short silence befell them before Bucky braced his hands on the couch cushions, “Alright, before this conversation gets too deep, I’m going to go lay down.”

____

Shuri pat him on the back, “You might call Steve, or message him back at least. You’ve already left him on read for twenty minutes.”

____

Bucky raised an eyebrow, “Was it really that long? Damn.” 

____

Peter nodded as he moved back to his seat on the couch “Yeah, we could’ve been done with the movie by now” he tried to joke, but it fell flat as everyone knew he was upset about the new end date for the meetings. 

____

Bucky took a breath and rose to his feet. His legs still felt unsteady, but they were good enough to get him to his room “Have fun with the rest of the movie guys” he sent a pointed look to Shuri “And try not to criticize everything Shuri.”

____

Bucky stepped away from the couch and everything went black.

____

It was the same dream as before, but on steroids. The darkness pressed down on Bucky like the weight of the world. The six lights were blinding, the voices that accompanied the lights were no longer muted. They were screaming, and yelling, and demanding in a thousand different languages. The noise was destroying. Bucky screamed, tugging against the razor sharp bindings that held him down, and he could almost feel himself begin to bleed. 

____

The cloaked figure stepped from the darkness, crimson eyes burning with glorious fury. Bucky felt frigid fear run down his spine as the familiar gnarled hand reached for him and beckoned.

____

The voice that followed made Bucky’s ears bleed and he screamed in pain “Come… Come to me.”

____

And then something new, the voice ricocheted in the darkness “Come to Gibraltar, my destroyer of life.”

____


	3. A Liesmith and Silvertongue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki realizes they need to leave Earth, they make their plans, do quite a bit of lying, and hit the road (or whatever you'd say for space travel)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so, this chapter didn't come out exactly like I wanted, and is a good bit shorter than the previous two. I was originally going to include a large section of what is now going to be the next chapter in here, but the transition was awkward, so I changed it to how it is now. This is the last somewhat calm chapter in the story though! So things are starting to pick up as Loki and Bucky leave Earth. Since this one is a little shorter, I hope to have the next chapter out within the next week, but I will be traveling for two days and may not get as much done. After the next update they'll probably come out at a slower rate than they have been, maybe once every week and a half- two weeks. But until then, I hope you guys enjoy! And I'll be back soon!
> 
> (P.S. Don't forget to leave a comment if you have any questions or comments, if it is something crucial to the story I'll leave it in the notes of the chapter so everyone gets the knowledge, and will respond within two days or so)

Bucky woke up in his room, laying flat on his back, something cold resting on his forehead. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the growing feeling of nausea in his stomach. Bucky’s eyes trailed across the ceiling but his eyesight was fuzzy; his mouth felt like he’d eaten sawdust. Bucky was experiencing serious sleep inertia, what Dr. Cho had told him the sick feeling after a too-long nap was. He’d had it more than enough times to go ask her about it. 

Bucky groggily shifted under his covers and after a few attempts managed to kick them off. Bucky groaned as he slowly sat up against the wall behind the bed, panic beginning to set in as his mind drifted back to his dream... nightmare? No, it had been a vision. Bucky had never had visions before, but he was certain that had been one.

Bucky’s gaze drifted around the room for a moment. Bucky bit back a yell as he slammed himself into the wall. Loki was curled up in a ball against the wall next to the door. The Asgardian’s knees were pulled to his chest, his palms pressed to his eyes as he breathed heavily. 

Bucky coughed, nearly choking because he throat and mouth were so dry. “Loki?” Bucky croaked, sitting up all the way.

Loki took another breath before slowly looking up at Bucky. He looked as bad as Bucky felt; dark circles, abnormally pale skin, a faint glossiness in his eyes. “James, we have to go.” Loki hissed.

Bucky stared at him fearfully, his face dropping “What?”

Loki pressed a hand over his mouth, eyes flicking down to the floor before finding Bucky’s gaze again. “We have to have to follow the visions. We have to go to Gibraltar.”

Bucky’s metal fist ripped the blanket he was gripping. “We can’t! We can’t just leave! We don’t even know-”

“James, please!” Loki yelled frantically, terror consuming his face “I had a vision after you collapsed, I know now who and what we are dealing with! Trust me when I say we can not afford to ignore them any longer!”

Bucky swallowed thickly, “What do you mean?” he whispered. 

Loki shuddered, “The beings who are after us, after the Stones, they make Thanos look like a mindless grunt!. Bucky went paper white and Loki continued “If we ignore their summon, they will not hesitate to lay waste to this entire planet without a second thought! They will do anything to get the Stones, and they have the power to destroy everything.”

Bucky stared at Loki, petrified by his words. Loki ran a hand through his hair, mouth twisting like he was trying to avoid puking. Bucky’s voice came out almost an inaudible whisper “How much time do we have?”

Loki shook his head, “The sooner we leave, the better. The longer we take, the more risk that they’ll send someone after us.”

Bucky didn’t reply for a long moment, “How do we get there? Can you teleport us with the Space Stone?”

Loki shook his head again, “No, the place where they exist… It exists beyond time, beyond reality, even beyond the quantum realm. Very few even know they exist, fewer believe they do, and no one alive is old enough to know where-” Loki’s voice dropped off and a mortified look dawned in his eyes.

Bucky narrowed his eyes, “You know someone who knows how to get there?”

Loki squeezed his eyes shut, “I do not know for certain, but I might. He is one of very few beings ancient enough to possibly know.”

“Then that’s who we need to see first, whether you like it or not” Bucky carefully swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood. “If we’re really going to leave like this, then we’re going to do it right. What do we need?” Bucky offered a hand to Loki.

The Asgardian allowed Bucky to pull him to his feet. Loki shook himself, his eyes beginning to grow steely, “First, we need a cover story. Then, we need a ship.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

Bucky had no idea how they were going to convince a telepath of a lie. And then he remembered that Loki was a master sorcerer, and a master manipulator, so he left that part of the plan to Loki. However, getting a ship that was capable of space travel was going to prove to be more of a problem. 

Tony had purposefully chosen not to expand his technology into space ships after the invasion of New York in 2012. Bucky respected that. But it meant that there was no ship pre-built that they could take. When Loki handed Bucky a roll of paper, he wasn’t sure what exactly to expect. Then Bucky opened the papers and spread them out on his workbench in the lab, and realized what Loki was aiming for. 

Bucky had been carefully testing the capabilities and limitations of the Reality Stone in the past few weeks whenever he’d had a moment alone. He’d learned that for the most part, summoning biological and natural elements was easy, all he had to do was think of them. Then Bucky had tried creating a replica of his arm, and discovered a huge problem. If he didn’t know the exact working mechanics of a machine, what it was made of, how it functioned, what kind of power it required, it wouldn’t function properly. Bucky ended up having to read through several pages of blueprints and notes Shuri had made when constructing his arm. Even after that, it took him several tries to create a fully functioning replica with the stone. 

What was on the papers that Loki had handed to Bucky on his way to talk with Wanda? Blueprints for an entire spaceship. Loki was asking Bucky to conjure an entire spaceship from nothing. Bucky wished he’d been given any other stone except the one he had. 

So while Loki went to go talk to Wanda, Bucky used his artificially enhanced brain and memory to commit the blueprints to memory. Then he spent a solid fifteen minutes trying to figure out what the hell it all meant before Loki showed up in the lab. 

“I hate you” Bucky growled, eyes trained on the blueprints.

Loki raised an eyebrow “What for?”

Bucky glared at him, “You know I need to know the exact details of a machine before I can build it, and I’ve already memorized the entire thing, but here’s the deal”. Bucky slammed his hands on the worktable “I don’t know Allspeak! I can’t read the instructions! I have no idea how to put it together!”

Loki slowly looked down at the blueprints “I see… That is a slight problem”

Bucky sighed and rested his forehead in his hand “You talk to Wanda?”

Loki nodded, “I told her that I’m being recalled to Jotunheim, to fight for my right as heir to the throne. I told her I want to bring you with me due to the fact you’re the most competent warrior here, and I’ll need your help escaping should I lose the fight.”

“Did she believe you?” 

Loki tilted his head “I believe so, but I cannot be sure. She has been training relentlessly, and has improved a great deal since I first met her. Her ability to shield her mind has grown much stronger”

“So we can’t be certain?” 

Loki shook his head, “No, we can’t.”

Bucky shook his head, “We should pretend to call Steve and Thor, if she thinks we’re letting them know we’re leaving, she’s much less likely to report our absence.”

Loki’s mouth curled into a smile “A very ingenuitive plan, James. We should call them anyway, placate them, find a way to make sure they do not call for a while. If they call repeatedly they will soon realize that something is wrong”

Bucky nodded, “I’ll call Pepper as well, since I was supposed to be working with her a few days over the next couple weeks.”

“While you do that, I’ll do my best to translate the blueprints into a language you can understand, or at least learn them so I can instruct you on how to build the ship.” Loki carefully moved Bucky away from the table as he hovered over the blueprints.

Bucky nodded and walked away from the lab. He tried to be rational, tried to channel what was left of the Soldier. If he wanted to make this convincing, he had to start by calming down. Calling Steve first wasn’t an option, Bucky was still too wired and Steve would notice, and then Bucky would seem overly stressed when talking to Pepper. So he would call Pepper first, prove to himself that he could do it, then call Steve. Bucky was almost frightened by how analytical his thought process was. 

Bucky took a deep breath as he stepped out onto the elevator. Bucky pulled out his phone and dialed Pepper’s number as the door slid shut behind him. The phone rang three times, and then it was picked up. “James?” Pepper’s voice was only slightly distorted through the phone “It’s a little late to be calling, is everything alright?”

Bucky cursed himself, he’d completely forgotten to check the time. “ _Nevermind that, keep a level head. Create a lie that no one can question_ ” Bucky told himself. “Hey Pepper, sorry it’s so late, but I thought you’d want to know.”

The words slipped off Bucky’s tongue effortlessly, feeling more like the truth that the actual truth would “I won’t be able to come film with you and Patty this week, I’m headed back to Wakanda in the morning to deal with an emergency threat coming from renegade forces in a nearby kingdom that are threatening to try and take over the capitol. They seem to think that attacking the Asgardians will somehow repay all the damage that’s been done by alien forces since 2012.”

Pepper inhaled sharply, “That sounds like a nightmare, are you going alone?”

“No, Loki will be coming with me since his people are in the most danger. Shuri would join me except she has a meeting with some of the top doctors in the world to discuss improving medical technology in two days.” Bucky replied, striding towards his and Steve’s private living quarters.

“Have you called the main team to let them know? Should I?” Pepper asked, her tone cool and calculating.

Bucky shook his head, “No, we’re trying to keep them uninvolved. I just spoke with Okoye, she agrees that they should remain undisturbed unless absolutely necessary. Unless it becomes a matter of international scale, we’ll keep the problem contained from international eye, and the eye of the main Avengers.”

Pepper sighed, “Of course, thank you for telling me. I’ll be sure to let Patty and Elizabeth know about the change of plans, and I’ll even put next week’s dates on hold until you can update me on the situation.”

“Thank you for understanding Pepper, keep an eye on the news. I’ll try to get back to you as soon as I can.” Bucky told her.

“Alright, good luck James” Pepper told him, and ended the call.

Bucky took a deep breath, he hadn't lost it. And if all else failed, it wasn’t a complete lie. There was a group of renegades trying to infiltrate Wakanda, Shuri had let him know the previous morning so he didn’t feel out of the loop. The main Avengers hadn’t been informed of it, their work in Vienna was the highest priority. So it was a powerful lie.

The next problem, he was going to have to tell Steve, while looking him in the eye. Two years ago, Bucky could’ve done it without hesitation. Even a year ago he could’ve. But now it was a problem, now that he knew Steve like the back of his hand, now that Steve had entrusted him with his stories and secrets, lying about anything more than spilling food set Bucky on edge. 

Bucky slipped into his and Steve’s room and sighed as the door slid shut behind him. Bucky’s laptop was resting on the table of their little sitting area, where he’d left it charging after his call with Steve the previous morning. Bucky sat down in front of his laptop and used the fingerprint scanner to unlock it. Bucky moved to press the call button, and then paused, his mind flashing back to his last call with Steve.

_“Are you absolutely sure?” Steve asked tiredly._

_“Of course” Bucky reassured him “I’ll be perfectly fine for one night, you guys deserve the rest. Go have fun and go drinking with the crew”_

_Steve smiled “Thanks Buck, I really need a break after all the added stress we’ve been under the past couple days”_

_Bucky shrugged, a small smile on his face “Then go! I’ll be fine. Don’t try to procrastinate your way out of a fun night again.”_

_Steve laughed and Bucky sighed contentedly. Steve winked at Bucky “Love ya’ Buck”_

_“Love you too Punk”_

Bucky wanted to punch himself in the face. He’d promised Steve that he wouldn’t call tonight because the team was going on for drinks, and Lord knows that they definitely needed them after what happened with the setback Steve had told Bucky about. It was almost ten o’clock at night at the compound, which meant it was about four in the morning in Vienna. 

Knowing the Avengers, they wouldn’t have gotten in until at least two, even when they knew they had meetings the next morning. There was no way Bucky was going to wake Steve up with a call, he needed sleep more than Bucky needed to talk to him. It also made Bucky’s chance of getting away with his lie much better, because he could record it as many times as he needed before sending. 

Bucky took a breath and gathered his thoughts, then pulled his phone out. Bucky was carefully to make sure the message wouldn’t send until at least three hours later, he was glad Shuri had added the ability to postpone messages. She’d said she used it to get out of trouble, it usually made sure that the user was calm enough to think rationally before sending a heated message. 

Bucky pressed the recording button, and began to speak. “Hey Steve, it’s me. It’s uh, pretty late here, and even later where you are, and I know you went out drinking so I didn’t want to wake you up.” Bucky could feel himself wavering slightly and tried to steady his voice. 

“I wanted to let you know that I’m heading back to Wakanda for a while, going to check on my goats, work with the villagers a bit, see how things have been going since I, we left. I know this is kinda sudden.” Bucky felt his voice crack and tried to bite back tears. He was mostly unable to and knew Steve was going to be worried, but he continued anyway. “I just- I really miss you, and miss being with you, and nothing here at the compound reminds of you. Your pillow and clothing are cold and clean and can’t help. The hut reminds me of you, you built it, it feels like you. So I’m gonna go back there for a while, cool down a bit, take a vacation.”

“I’m not bringing my phone, or my laptop, they’re staying here at the compound” Bucky sniffed, brushing at his face “I know you’ll be worried after you hear this, but trust me, I’ll be fine until you’re done. If you really need to reach me, you’ll have to call Okoye and deal with her, see if she’ll help you”. Bucky felt fear and nausea begin to creep into him at the knowledge of what he was doing, the lie he was telling “If not, and you can’t talk to me until I get back, I’m sorry.”

Bucky pressed the cool metal of a metal knuckle to his mouth, “I love you Steve. I’ll talk to you soon.” Bucky ended the recording and silently cursed himself.

That message was going to scare Steve half to death, there’s no way he wouldn’t try and get in touch as soon as possible. The last time Bucky had left Steve a message like that had been a serious low point for them both. It was about a month and a half after the end of the war, they had both been settled at the compound for over a month when it happened. 

A few things led up to it if Bucky was truthful. Steve had been adamantly refusing to talk about his problems, any and all of them, the PTSD, depression, unhealthy tendencies, even with Bucky. Bucky was suffering from nightly nightmares about Hel, and Thanos, and being happy with being dead. None of which he’d told Steve about either; then Steve had gone on a week long mission with a majority of the in-residence team. Bucky had lost himself, shutting himself away for the first three days, then he left Steve a similar message and disappeared from the compound. He had scared the living hell out of everyone at the compound, not easing their fear when he failed to show up in Wakanda for over two days. 

His time making his way to Wakanda and what happened for the two days he was there without Steve was blurry, and dark. His mind had shut the memories away, which made Bucky assume the worst. Steve had shown up on day eight, looking scared out of his mind. And had apologized, clinging to Bucky like a lifeline, until his voice died on him. Bucky had felt terrible about the whole ordeal once he had gotten out of his depressive cold spot. But Steve had been convinced that his own distance and lack of communication had been the main problem, despite Bucky trying to tell him otherwise. 

So Steve was going to be terrified when he heard Bucky's message, and would definitely call Okoye, and if she hadn't heard about him arriving she'd definitely check on him. Which meant Bucky was going to have to have Loki send a clone of him to Wakanda, at least for a few days. Bucky hoped Loki could do it. Bucky was pretty sure Loki could do just about anything he put his mind to.

\--------------------------------------------------------------

Loki was waiting for Bucky, blueprints still spread on the table, when Bucky made it back to the lab. 

Loki raised an eyebrow, “You finish your calls?”

Bucky nodded, “Yes. What have you got for me?”

Loki turned back to the table, “I managed to translate the most important details and pieces, the rest I'll be able to help you with”

“Good. But uh” Bucky grimaced slightly, as he scanned the blueprints “Is there any way you can send clones of us to Wakanda? For a few days.,” 

Loki stared at him, “I suppose. Now, if we want to get going, we should step outside and construct this ship.” Loki compressed all the blueprints with a wave of his hand.

“You're not even going to ask why we need clones?” Bucky asked as Loki moved over to the outer door.

Loki tossed his hair and opened the door, “I assume it is to make sure we don't have anyone coming after us, in accordance with whatever you told your partner.”

Bucky followed Loki out into the cold air. The lights surrounding the walkway lit up automatically as they made their way towards the clearing in the middle of compound. Bucky eyed the rolled up plans in Loki’s grip and mentally reviewed what he’d seen and read. There was so much, Bucky had no idea how he was supposed to be able to create an entire spaceship just using his mind. Hopefully he wasn’t going to die as soon as he tried to create something larger than a motorcycle. 

Loki stopped in the middle of the clearing and waited for Bucky to join him. Loki took a deep breath and looked forward, “I won’t lie, this will probably be a very exhausting experience for you. You have no training with magic, and no real training with the stone, this could go very badly. But that’s why I am here, to help monitor you, and to make sure you don’t overuse the stone and destroy yourself.”

“Great” Bucky sighed.

“So, let’s begin” Loki tossed the blueprints and they hovered in the air before the pair like they were pinned to a work board. 

Loki was not kidding when he said that Bucky was screwing with stuff he couldn’t control, and Bucky was glad that Loki had an idea of what to do. Cause like Loki said, Bucky would’ve self destructed within the first five minutes if he hadn’t had a guide. And he meant that literally. All it took was Bucky trying to rush the creation of a steering mechanism and he nearly imploded, Loki had to step in and wrestle the Reality Stone’s power into submission. 

One thing Bucky was reminded of; using the Stone was physically exhausting. Running can make you tired, staying up for days on end will make you tired, taking a really hard test will make you tired. Bucky had forgotten what true exhaustion was like; he hadn’t felt it since his time as the Winter Soldier, when he wasn’t allowed to sleep for seventy years. And contrary to belief, and as Bucky had to explain to Sam and a few others, being thrown on ice was not equal to sleep, at all. 

Using the stone made Bucky feel like he was using his life as a battery. If he tried to assemble too large a piece, something too quickly, or more than a piece at once, he’d go light headed and feel like puking. If he didn’t take constant breaks, he passed out; that happened several times when they were working on the ship. Bottom line, it felt like the worst flu you could possibly get. And the feeling only worsened as time passed. 

After about an hour and a half, they’d managed to assemble the main framework of the ship. And Bucky became extremely nauseous. By hour two, the outside of the ship was complete, and Bucky was dealing with serious chills. At two hours and fifteen minutes, forty-three seconds, Bucky passed out the first time. 

Loki awoke him right away, and offered him some sort of drink and food that looked like it was not from Earth. Bucky was half right, but also wrong. Loki called the little square bars Ambrosia, and the drink Nectar, and said they were the food of the gods. Loki told him that it was the food of the gods, or rather the demigods. He mentioned that the recipe had been given to the Asgardians by a group called the Olympians. The Greek Gods. 

Bucky choked on the small bar, which for some reason tasted like waffles, and asked exactly what Loki meant by that. As it turns out, the Norse gods were not the only ones based off alien races. Bucky had no intent of ever telling the other that there was another group of demigod beings living in the galaxy until Loki mentioned that the Olympians had moved to an entire other dimension when they first caught word of Thanos’ scheming many years in the past. Bucky didn’t blame them for leaving. 

A few minutes past 3 am Bucky passed out again, that time trying to assemble the main engine and power source for the entire ship. That time he realized the nectar tasted less like nectar, and more like a cherry cream soda. 

As they slowly assembled the ship, and Bucky continued to feel worse and worse, adding in chills and a headache, Bucky had more and more time to think during his breaks, which were largely increasing in number, and the time between was decreasing. The one thing Bucky slowly began to realize was that it wasn’t just the fact he was a human that was causing him to have so many issues. Loki had said Bucky should’ve died upon contact with the stone, but the Vibranium in his arm saved him. Bucky felt something else. 

The Reality Stone itself was causing his problems, not because he was too weak, but because it wanted to. The Reality Stone was at least semi-sentient. Bucky could feel it quietly probing at his mind whenever he used it, trying to find a weak point. When Bucky tried to summon anything he could feel the pull of resistance from the stone, it was like trying to walk a dog that saw something it wanted to check out on the other side of the street. You can pull all you want, but eventually you’ll have to give in, or lose your grip on the leash. It’s even worse it feels like less of a dog and more like a seven ton war elephant from Wakanda. 

But in the end, they had the ship finished by sunrise, 05:42 in the morning. It took them just over six hours to build a spaceship, which was pretty impressive seeing as: a) There were only two of them. b) Bucky was not an engineer, mechanic, or anything of the sort. And c) Loki refused to use his magic for anything other than assembling non-essential pieces and helping Bucky lift things. And despite Loki’s relative lack of helping, he decided to dub the ship the Sleipnir.

As the sun rose over the compound Bucky headed back inside one final time. 

Bucky wandered into the common room a final time, heading for the bag of supplies. It was mainly things like guns, extra rations, first aid supplies, and things like that. But Bucky had really guessed when he was shoving everything in his bag, he had no idea what he was supposed to bring on a space adventure. 

As Bucky threw on his blue jacket his ears picked up on footsteps coming down the hall. They were too heavy to be Shuri’s, she walked like a cat, and Wanda hadn’t gone to sleep until after two. Bucky suspicion was confirmed when Peter groaned and stumbled into the room, looking extremely young and tired in his Hello Kitty pajama pants and a shirt that said “I survived my trip to NYC” with a picture of a taxi, and hastily scribbled underneath it in Sharpie “But not to space” with a frowny face drawn next to it. Bucky was sure there was a story behind it, other than the fact he’d died on Titan during the Snap.

Peter stopped in the doorway, glaring at Bucky with bleary eyes “Bucky? What’re you doing?”

Bucky sighed and set his duffel down on the couch, “Hey Pete, you’re up pretty early.”

Peter shuffled over to Bucky, eyes widening as they fell on the duffel, and Bucky’s uniform. “Are you going somewhere?” he grumbled, arms wrapped around his torso.

Bucky nodded, “There’s an emergency situation in Wakanda, Loki and I are being called in to help. We’re getting ready to leave right now.”

Peter started to gain awareness, taking a deep breath “What about Shuri? Is she going with you guys?”

Bucky shook his head, “No, she has that meeting with the board in a few days. If she leaves now she may not make it back in time.”

Peter nodded, “How long do you think you’ll be gone?”

Bucky shrugged “It’s hard to know, it could be a while though”. Bucky’s face split into a smirk and he wrapped an arm around Peter’s shoulders, squeezing him to his chest “That does not mean you get to skip out on school just because we’re gone though”

Peter laughed and bowed his head. Bucky pulled him into a hug and rested his chin on Peter’s hair (cause he was one of few people Bucky was tall enough to do that to anymore) “Respect Wanda’s authority, keep an eye on Shuri, and don’t fight her. We’ll be back soon kiddo.”

Peter slumped against Bucky’s chest and hugged him tiredly “Be careful, come back soon”. Peter smiled sleepily and let out a small chuckle “I’ll make sure to plan some more lessons for when you get back, can’t let my star pupil down.”

Bucky scoffed and rolled his eyes, “Alright teach, why don’t you get to bed then. You can’t function on no sleep.” 

Peter yawned and pulled away from Bucky. He started wandering into the kitchen “Eh, I want a snack first.”

Bucky sighed and shook his head, “There should be some leftover waffles in the top cupboard behind the spot Wanda hides her chocolate.”

Peter let out an unintelligible noise as he disappeared into the kitchen. Bucky zipped up his jacket and tossed his duffel over his shoulder, eyeing the door to the hallway. “Wanda” he murmured “I didn't think you'd be up.” 

She wandered into the room, hands buried in the pocket of her sweatshirt “Yes, well, I wanted to see you off”. Wanda shifted nervously as she moved closer.

Bucky felt a twinge of fear but did his best to mask it with a warm half-smile. Bucky carefully wrapped her in a hug “Thanks kiddo.”

Wanda was silent, her hands bunching in the fabric of Bucky's jacket. After a moment her breath stuttered “James, please be careful. I just, have a really bad feeling about this. I keep having this vision…” 

Wanda swallowed thickly and Bucky squeezed her closer, “We'll be alright Wanda, both Loki and I are extremely capable of taking care of ourselves.”

“I don't trust him!” Wanda snapped “I don't want anything to happen to you. Steve will lose his head either way, you know that don't you.”

Bucky sighed, “I do. But Steve needs to respect the fact that I am my own person, and if I want to go on a trip to space to fight alongside one of the Avengers former greatest enemies, I'm going to.” 

Wanda let out a small laugh and Bucky relaxed his grip on her. Wanda pulled away and gave Bucky a tired look “Good luck Bucky.”

Bucky offered her a small smile “Get some rest, kid. We'll be fine.” 

Wanda nodded and stepped aside. Although he knew her sleep schedule was wrecked because of it, he was glad she'd been there to send him off. He was reminded of his sister Becca when he was with Wanda; though almost any girl younger than him reminded him of his sister at that point. Bucky walked past her and stopped by the giant announcement screen by the doorway. He tapped the glass “Friday, I want to leave a message for Shuri. Pen please.” 

The screen lit up with the Stark logo and a small compartment at the bottom on the screen popped open. Bucky grabbed a pen and quickly scrawled his message on the wall, writing not only in cursive, but in Wakandan as well, so Shuri was the only one who could read it. As if the cursive wasn't enough these days. 

“Shuri,  
Loki and I were called in to help with the situation in Wakanda, so we'll be gone until it is resolved. I'm leaving my tech here at the compound so I don't have to worry about losing it or breaking it, as I am prone to. Good luck with your meeting, respect your teammates and listen to Wanda, she's in charge. Try not to blow up the lab or yourself (or Peter).  
\--Bucky”

Bucky set the pen back in its compartment and the drawer slid shut with a small click. Bucky took a breath and slipped back out into the hallway. 

Loki was waiting in the ship when Bucky got back, carefully running last minute checks on the systems from his seat at the front of the flight deck. Bucky dropped his bag underneath a nearby seat and wandered over to his own control seat, which sat beside Loki’s. Bucky wondered why he’d been given a piloting seat when he’d never actually flown a spaceship before, but decided to drop it until a later point in time. 

Bucky slipped into his seat and Loki glanced at him. Loki exhaled and leaned back in his seat “Are you ready?”

Bucky nodded “Are you?”

Loki rolled his shoulders and shifted uncomfortably. “We have work to do, let’s get going” Loki growled, completely avoiding Bucky’s question. 

Bucky sat back and buckled himself in. If Loki was going to be this nervous and tense the entire trip it was going to be a long one. Bucky looked over as Loki powered up the ship and watched carefully to see how to work all the controls as Loki pulled the ship into the air. 

Bucky sighed, “So, are you ever going to tell me where we’re going? And who exactly we are visiting?”

Loki’s hands tightened on the controls and he glared out the front window “Sakaar”

\----------------------------------------

Bucky had thought it was impossible Loki to get more nervous than he had been back on the ship, but the trip through the streets of Sakaar proved him wrong. True, Bucky was extremely uncomfortable and on edge as well; Sakaar seemed to be the perfect place to trigger every aspect of his PTSD. Bright colors, tons of people in the streets, yelling and shouting all around him. Bucky kept his head down and tried to ignore the random popping noises; they weren’t guns, Bucky kept repeating that thought in his head.

Loki was faring even worse; he was snow pale, clammy, and looked like he wanted to puke. Bucky suddenly doubted their decision to come to Sakaar, who was the Grandmaster? And why was Loki so deathly afraid of him? No one Loki was afraid of could be good, the trickster god was hardly ever really scared.

There were guards at the entrance to the Grandmaster’s tower, big and brawny aliens with large spears. They seemed to recognize Loki though, and bowed as they stepped aside. Bucky kept close to Loki’s side, remaining just off his left shoulder as they passed through the large entryway. The bottom level of the tower was mostly empty aside from a few servants, all of whom began to stare and whisper when they saw Loki.

“Jesus Christ, Loki!” Bucky hissed as they stepped into the elevator “What the hell did you do here?”

Loki scowled and folded his arms across his chest. “I was a one of the Grandmaster’s most favored companions in my time here” he snapped. 

“Oh” It took Bucky a moment to process what Loki had said. Bucky inhaled sharply a moment later “Oh!”

Loki growled as Bucky coughed awkwardly. There was a moment of tense silence between them. Bucky spoke again “I, uh, I’m not judging you, it just explains the reactions a bit more. But, if he liked you so much, why are you so nervous to go see him again?” Bucky glared at Loki suspiciously.

Loki sighed “Because, I fell out of his favor when my brother arrived. I helped my brother, Bruce, and Valkyrie get off the planet, partially. I also helped organize a huge rebellion that toppled him off his throne.”

Bucky nodded slowly “So you’re no longer the favorite? That explains why you’re nervous”

Loki sighed, “It’s not just that though. He came and aided us in the final battle, remember? The giant ship that ended up taking a huge portion of the alien carcasses back to use for profit? That was his ship, his crew… I saw him right before he departed James, he really is terrifying. He doesn’t seem it, he has no powerful abilities, but he is one of the oldest beings in the universe. He has mastered strategy and politics, he is a threat.” Loki shook himself, picking at his palm.  
Bucky placed a hand on Loki’s shoulder and the Asgardian looked over at him “Trust me Loki, we can do this. I’ll be right behind you the entire time, nothing that we don’t want to happen will happen. Besides, you said he’s a master of politics and strategy? If you’re obviously nervous he will find a way to play that to his advantage. You’re a master manipulator, you know that”

Loki took a deep breath, “You’re right, I do know that.”

The elevator slid open and the pair stepped out. They entered the reception hall and were greeted by an alien woman who, like the others, recognized Loki instantly. She stepped around her desk with a bright smile “Master Laufeyson, it is good to see you back. What can we do for you today?”

Loki shifted his tunic, “I need to speak with the Gr-”. He paused and corrected himself “With En Dwi Gast, I believe he will be willing to speak with me.”

The receptionist blinked slowly, ‘Did you have an appointment today? Or are you just dropping in?” 

Loki grit his teeth, “We do not have an appointment but-”

Bucky stepped forward, “Ma’am, I understand you have your protocol, but Master Laufeyson has urgent business with Dwi Gast. Besides, I doubt you would like to keep one of the his favorites from his longer than necessary.”

The woman blinked at Bucky like she’d just realized he was there “Of course, right this way Master Laufeyson”. She motioned for them to follow and headed towards a door on their right.

Loki sighed and nodded at Bucky appreciatively. They followed the woman through the door and she began to speak again, “Master Dwi Gast’s room is just a little ways this way. He is currently relaxing with some diplomats from the planet Santur. If you need anything else, I am Anaria, do not hesitate to call for me.”

She paused outside a pair of great doors, “Master Laufeyson, right this way.” Anaria turned a sharp eye on Bucky “Your drudge may remain outside the door or I can escort it to the servants quarters. Which would you prefer?”

Bucky opened his mouth to reply but Loki’s tight grip on his arm stopped him. Loki smiled dashingly, “I would actually prefer to keep him with me, this will not be a long visit I do believe.”

Anaria’s eyes grew dark, “As much as I would like to permit that course of action, I’m afraid Master Dwi Gast has an unbreakable ban against servants entering the room when he has guests over.”

Loki snarled, his eyes flashing green “He will be accompanying me into the room.”

Anaria rocked on her feet, eyes flashing with the same green light. After a moment she steadied herself and her face melted back into a plastic smile “Of course! I wish you a happy visit!”. She turned on her heel and stalked back down the corridor.

Bucky smacked Loki, “Really?! I thought we agreed on the “no magic” thing?”

“She was going to seperate us!” Loki snapped “You promised me I would not have to face him alone!” He heaved a breath and relaxed his demeanor, “I’m just ensuring you don’t break that promise.”

Bucky huffed angrily but turned back to the door. Loki and Bucky pushed the doors open simultaneously. Loki was instantly glad that the Grandmaster was entertaining diplomats, the event they interrupted was much… better, than anything else Loki had imagined. 

The Grandmaster and the four diplomats were seated around a egg-shaped table, playing a game that upon a glance reminded Bucky of Dungeons and Dragons, but it had miniature holograms in a holographic landscape. Bucky knew that Peter would die if it got his hands on it, because he was a huge nerd. 

The light aura of the room, filled with laughter and the clinking of ice in glasses, died and was replaced with something much more sinister the moment the Grandmaster saw Loki. The Grandmaster held up a hand and the diplomats fell silent.

The Grandmaster smiled down at his guests, “I hate to interrupt the game, but it seems I have other guests to deal with. Would you lovely people mind drifting to the next room over for a few moments?”. It was less of a question and more of an order. 

The diplomats nodded and carefully shuffled their way over to a door on the left of the room. The Grandmaster’s gaze remained fixated on Loki the entire time; Loki returned the glare with ferocity. The door clicked shut behind the last diplomat.

The Grandmaster slowly rounded the edge of the table, hands clasped. A smug smile on drifted onto the Grandmaster’s face “So, you’ve finally decided to accept my offer?”

Loki glared at him, “Hardly, you have information we need.”

The Grandmaster’s smile stretched into one that sent chills down Bucky’s spine, “Information? So you’d like to make a deal then?”

Bucky felt Loki shift backwards and pressed closer. Loki bared his teeth, “No, you tell us what we want to know, then we leave. No deals.”

The Grandmaster tutted, shaking his head as he drifted towards them. Bucky stepped forward; he regretted it when the Grandmaster turned an eye on him. The Grandmaster’s eyes surveyed Bucky in a long sweep and Bucky felt like he needed to go jump in a very hot shower. “Who’s this? Your servant? Boy-toy?”

“My companion” Loki snarled “Now, are you going to cooperate, or are things going to get unpleasant?”

The Grandmaster reached out and brushed a hand across Loki’s cheek “With you, things are never unpleasant”

There was a loud smack as Loki hit the Grandmaster’s hand. Loki held a blade to the Grandmaster’s throat “No games Dwi Gast, we don’t have time for that”

The Grandmaster’s face dropped to a glare. “Fine, what do you want to know?" He spat, backing away from Loki and Bucky.

Bucky and Loki exchanged a glance and Loki took the lead “Gibraltar, home of the Ancient Ones, the Eternals, where is it?”

The Grandmaster’s eyes widened “What?”

“The home of the Ancient Ones, the place beyond space and time, how do we get there?” Loki snapped, switching his knife for a staff.

The Grandmaster glared at him “Why would you want to go there? There is nothing there for you”

“If I tell you, will you tell us how to get there?” Loki growled, his grip on his staff tightening.

“Depends on the reason” The Grandmaster sighed, dropping into a nearby chair.

Loki held up his left hand and lit up the Infinity Stone. The Grandmaster’s eyes widened and he leaned forward in his chair, face draining of color “Is that-?”

Loki nodded “The Space Stone, yes. The new hosts of the Stones are being called to Gibraltar.”

The Grandmaster eyed Bucky “I’m going to presume you have one as well.”

Bucky glanced at Loki, who nodded. Bucky mirrored Loki’s movement and carefully lit the Reality Stone. The Grandmaster sighed “Too bad, I would’ve been excited if either of you had the Mind Stone, that one was mine for a while”

Bucky and Loki exchanged worried glances as the Grandmaster continued, “But since I understand your position, and because I am kind and merciful, I will tell you how to get to Gibraltar.”

“Come sit” The Grandmaster motioned for them to move closer.

“We'll be fine standing, we don't plan to be here long” Loki snapped. 

The Grandmaster huffed, “The place you search for isn't too hard to find if you know where to look.” He tapped his wristband and a projection of the system popped up between them. “We are here, on Sakaar.” he pointed to a glowing blue dot.

The Grandmaster pointed to another point on the far end of the galaxy, a desolate point filled with a black hole “This is the biggest event horizon in this universe. We call it Ouroboros, named after the infinity dragon, who is always eating his own tail. It’s fitting, because it’s deadly and never ending. But it’s more commonly referred to as Gibraltar”. The Grandmaster chuckled darkly “That is the entrance to the place you seek.”

Loki glowered at him “Why do you laugh?”

The Grandmaster fixated his eyes on Loki, suddenly looking far less amused. “Because, you go there, and you will never make it back out. It doesn’t matter how powerful you think you are-” he snarled “-in the end, you are nothing compared to the power of we Eternals.”

Loki’s face grew dangerously sharp and he smirked, “I don’t know about that, my brother and I managed to dethrone you fairly easily.”

The Grandmaster slowly rose from his seat, “And how do you think I was able to regain control so quickly? All by myself? Because you haven’t such anything from me just yet.”

“Oh I think I’ve seen quite enough of you” Loki snapped. Bucky grabbed Loki’s wrist and squeezed it warningly. Loki got the hint, “Now, thank you for the instructions, but I’m afraid we have to go.”

Loki activated the Space Stone and a portal quickly enveloped he and Bucky. Bucky gasped as they were dropped back into the cockpit of the Sleipnir. Loki could practically hear the alarms ringing through the tower from where he was.

“Go!” Loki yelled, pushing Bucky towards his seat. Bucky threw himself behind the controls and began setting the controls as Loki dropped into his own seat. Loki threw the rest of the switches with a wave of his hand and strapped himself in.


	4. Gibraltar (It's really Ouroboros but whatever)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And we've finally arrived! Our heroes (anti-heroes? former villains?) are headed to finally meet the Eternals. They reach Gibraltar, stuff goes down, you finally get to meet the rest of the Infinity Stone hosts, and a newcomer comes up with a very fun idea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Second Edit)- I am EXTREMELY sorry this took so long to get out but as I went to upload it I realized that I'd forgotten a large chunk of the chapter and when I went to go find it... it was gone. It took me much longer than I would've liked to rewrite that section because I loved the original so much and I didn't have the energy of motivation. But it's finally done and that's what counts! I don't have too much else to say this time besides I hope you guys enjoy, as always, and don't forget to ask any questions if you have them. Linked below is the Pinterest board with the inspiration for each of the Eternals they meet this time, so if you want a really cleat picture of what Buck and Loki are facing, go and take a look either before or after you read (though it's a slight spoiler if you look before).  
> Fun Fact: The Space Eternal introduced is actually based off original concept art for Gamora that I fell in love with, and all the other designs for the others were picked to complement hers.  
> (Still can't get links to work for me, so again, copy and paste)  
> https://pin.it/hkjf3utapdn44z  
> 

They were lucky to escape Sakaar with nothing more than a few minor scrapes to the ship. Bucky had to thank Loki for that one, if they hadn’t been able to teleport off-world, he wasn’t sure his flying ability would’ve been enough. Loki input their destination into the steering system and let the autopilot take over for a while.

Loki was extremely quiet following their trip to Sakaar, and while that wasn’t too unusual for him, Bucky could tell that the Asgardian was shaken. Bucky spent a few minutes debating whether or not he should go talk to him before his “big brother override” (as Shuri had dubbed it) convinced him he should. Even though there was no one else there with them the blueprints had included extra space behind the main control seats, two rows of seats against the main walls of the flight deck. Bucky unbuckled himself and headed to the back seats, where Loki was stretched out. 

Bucky sat down on a seat a few away from Loki’s feet, not wanting to invade his personal space. Loki didn’t move at all but Bucky could tell that Loki wasn’t sleep just by the slight movement beneath his eyelids. Bucky stretched out his legs and leaned back, hands folded over his chest. Bucky took a breath and let the silence between them hover for a moment.

Loki’s eyes snapped open, an irritated glare on his face. “Do you need something, James?” he growled, eyes fixated on the ceiling above him. 

Bucky sighed, realizing that the direct method was not going to work with someone as emotionally stunted and shut-in as Loki. So Bucky decided to use an indirect method, and pull attention onto himself, to see if reverse psychology would work. “I’m worried about Steve.”

Loki raised a eyebrow, “I did not think you were the type to so easily express your feelings.”

Bucky grunted, “I’m not, usually, but my therapist have both told me that talking about what I’m feeling will help me understand why I’m feeling that way, and what healthy ways I can deal with it.” 

Loki looked mildly surprised and struggled to find a reply. “Well, if you need to… vent, feel free, I’m always a good listener.”

Bucky internally sighed with relief, knowing he’d just broken down a huge part of Loki’s defense. “It’s the message I left him. I should’ve just called him, gotten a chance to talk to him, even though it would’ve been harder. But instead I left a message that I know is going to freak him out, and he’s not going to be able to calm down because he won’t be able to go see me and see that I’m alright for himself. I should’ve done it differently. Now I can’t even check and see what he replied with, so now I get to worry the entire time as well.”

Loki shifted so he was sitting as well, legs still stretched out across the seats. “I understand you and Steve are very close, but if you are distracted the entire time we will most certainly not succeed. If you wish, I would be…” Loki gave a slightly averse shrug “...willing, to teleport your phone to you. So you can check your messages.”

Bucky stared at Loki with wide eyes, “Are you serious?”

Loki’s gaze sharpened, “Yes, you remain unfocused and you could get me injured or killed. Besides, I understand the feeling, I am not completely satisfied with the message I left for my brother.”

Bingo. There it was. “Really?” Bucky asked carefully “As a master liesmith I would think you’d have no trouble.”

Loki huffed, “And aren’t you supposed to be the deadliest assassin in history? More skilled than the Black Widow? Where are your skills now?”

Bucky shrugged, “Fair enough.”

Loki waved his hand, shooing Bucky back to the controls “Go check our course while I summon your phone.” 

Bucky huffed and rocked out of his seat, striding over to the controls. He could hear a faint buzz as Loki activated his spell. Bucky looked to the autopilot; they were on course so Bucky didn’t bother to check anything else. When Bucky turned around a moment later Loki was lounging on the seats again, a sleek black smartphone resting where Bucky had been sitting.

Bucky crossed to the seat and grabbed his phone. He had three missed calls and a voicemail, all from Steve, all made within five minutes of each other. Bucky felt a burning sensation in his lungs and his guts coil fearfully. Bucky glanced at Loki, who was filing his nails, before heading towards ladder to the lower compartment. Bucky stomped down the stairs and wandered over to a nearby bunk. Bucky sat down and curled his knees to his chest. 

Bucky opened the voicemail and held the phone to his ear. The call was silent for a moment, and then Steve’s voice came over the line and Bucky pressed a hand over his mouth. “James?”

Bucky felt his stomach flip unpleasantly; Steve never called him by his first name unless they were fighting or Steve was extremely afraid. Steve sighed over the phone “Bucky, I just got your message”

Steve paused and Bucky could hear his breath rattle, like it used to when he was sick all the time. “I’m not gonna lie, I’m terrified right now. I’m scared for you. And I feel like shit because this only happens when I leave you.” Steve growled “And God I knew this was a bad idea! But I left anyway.”

Steve sighed, “I’m sorry, I know you’re probably not going to hear this until you get back from Wakanda, so I guess I’m just wasting breath, but I thought I'd call anyway, just to get this off my chest. I know you'd want me to."

“So, try and relax, take your time, and rest while you're in Wakanda. Give Goat Wanda extra love for me, and good luck with Goat Tony. I'm doing my best to deal with his human counterpart as well” Steve rambled “And I, I love you, I hope you know that, I hope you remember that.” 

The voice message shut off with a short beep and Bucky was left in silence.

It took Bucky a few minutes to regain his composure, and head back up to the flight deck. Loki was waiting exactly where Bucky had left him, eyes focused on the ceiling above him. He glanced at Bucky as he wandered into the cockpit. Loki sat up again, reading Bucky's mood instantly.

Bucky held out his phone and Loki took it, sending it back to Earth in a flash of blue light. “Thank you” Bucky mumbled, burying his hands in his pockets as he stared out the front window of the ship.

Loki sighed and shook his head, sliding back into a sitting position “I take it the call went about as well as expected?”

Bucky gave a short nod. Loki shifted, hair swishing across his shoulders “May I ask why?”

Bucky suppressed a grin as he glanced over his shoulder “Steve is uh, obviously upset that I left, and he feels like it's his fault. Which it's not, but I wish I could tell him otherwise without breaking our lie”

Loki huffed, stretching his shoulders and back. Bucky had caught him; hook, line, and sinker. Bucky raised an eyebrow “What's up?”

Loki fixed a steely gaze on Bucky “You'll need to look more presentable before we reach Sakaar. Let me do your hair?”

It more of a question than a demand, but Bucky was left at a loss for words anyway. Bucky gaped at Loki like a fish, mouth hanging open. Loki rolled his eyes and pointed to the ground in front of him. Bucky took a deep breath and dropped down in front of Loki's seat. Bucky crossed his legs and cautiously rested his back against Loki's shins. Loki sighed and summoned a brush.

Bucky waited patiently as Loki pulled the brush through his hair, wincing as it caught snarls. After the fifth or sixth Loki scoffed “Odin's beard! Do you ever brush your hair?” 

Bucky's face heated, “Yes! But we were in a bit of a rush before we left, I didn't get a chance to to my whole beauty regimen!”

Silence fell between them for another long moment. Loki cleared his throat “You're obviously waiting for me to speak so I will”. Bucky didn't reply but winced as Loki tugged another knot out of his hair. 

“I too am worried, but about my brother.” Loki replied stiffly “I worry about his reaction. In the past, I did what I wanted, never warned him of anything. And that often cause him, us both, pain. So I decided to warn him now, but I fear that may only make him worry more. Like…” Loki hummed, musing through his thoughts as he began nimbly braiding a piece of Bucky's hair “Like I'm sending a final farewell, giving my last rights before my death.” 

Bucky caught the unspoken thought at the end “And?”

Loki sighed, “I don't know how he'll react anymore. On the one hand, he may come rushing across the universe to save my ass, as he often has done. On the other… he may not have it in him to care if I die again.”

Loki stuttered for words, “Not that I think he wouldn't care but- he might not-”

“Have it in him to grieve over you the same way he has before?” Bucky glanced over his shoulder at Loki.

Loki nodded, “Or have the ability to lose anything else without losing all his ability to feel whatsoever.” 

Bucky huffed, “Well then, I guess you'd better not die then, prove that you can go on an adventure and not die.”

Loki chuckled, “I suppose so, it might be a good habit to break.”

“Yeah, if I had to watch any of my siblings die repeatedly I think I'd lose it eventually as well.” Bucky sighed, mind drifting back to older days spent in a small apartment. 

Loki looked down at Bucky curiously “You had sibling-” 

Loki was cut off as the ship's alarms started blaring, bright red lights flashing all around them. 

“Damn!” Both Loki and Bucky jumped from their seats, racing towards the pilot chairs. 

The ship was thrown sideways and Bucky barely managed to grab the back of his chair to keep from sliding. Loki was not so lucky. Loki yelped as he toppled past Bucky and slammed into the far wall.

Bucky dragged himself into his seat and had a moment of “Oh Fuck” as he realized they'd hit an asteroid belt. 

Most days Bucky could swear that all his training from his time as the Winter Soldier was completely gone, that he wouldn't be surprised by some random new skill popping up when he needed it. Today was not one of the days. The second Bucky landed in his seat he felt his instincts take over and let his mind lock down in Soldier mode.

It was over before Bucky was able to regain control of his actions, and they were safely out of the asteroid belt. But instead of being relieved, Bucky just had a sick feeling in his mouth. It made him wonder, once again, if Shuri had been as successful as she said. What if she hadn’t gotten all the programming out? What if her work was coming undone? What if he completely reverted one day. What if he lost it again? He couldn’t go through that again.

Loki snapped Bucky out of his thoughts by whistling lowly as he made his way over to his own chair.  
Loki dropped back into his seat and swiftly positioned himself at the controls. Bucky relaxed and let Loki take control of the ship. “Excellent job, as I presume you’ve never flown a spacecraft before” Loki glanced at Bucky “Have you flown other aircraft before?”

Bucky nodded “Of course, I can pilot almost any craft I’ve ever seen or heard of, it was necessary training for the Winter Soldier.” he finished grimly.

Loki could sense Bucky didn’t want to delve into that topic, so he switch to another “While I’m reminded of it, James, I had a question about something you said earlier.”

Bucky glanced at Loki while he flicked a switch on the dash and they fell to a cruising speed “Alright, go for it, but I’m not going to answer if it’s offensive, I’m not in the mood for that right now.”

“Noted” Loki bobbed his head “But it isn’t, or shouldn't be.”

Loki took a breath, “James, earlier when we were building the ship you mentioned that you were, glad, that you and Steve ended up 70 years in the future, together, why is that?” 

Bucky stared at Loki for a moment, assessing his motive, before replying. Bucky exhaled heavily and turned his gaze back out the front of the ship, “Well, even though the time we grew up in is heavily romanticized due to it really bringing America onto the World’s Stage and into power, it generally sucked, for a huge portion of the population.”

Loki tilted his head, eyes glinting with curiosity, “What do you mean by that?”

“Modern day America still has huge issues when it comes to acceptance and tolerance of anything that is not caucasian and heterosexual, but it was so much worse back in the 30s and 40s I can’t even joke about it. I am Jewish, and-” Bucky paused, racking his mind “-definitely not straight. And even though I didn’t really know what my sexuality was back in the day, I was at risk of being accused of being gay, which was bad enough. And then I was also Jewish, my race kinda went through a lot during WWII, and I was the child of immigrants on top of that.”

The slight confusion of Loki’s face was enough to prompt Bucky to break it down even further “Alright, to be very specific. During my youth there were many ways to be in danger, socially. If you were an immigrant you were looked down upon by anyone who wasn’t first generation, and you could also be accused of being a spy. If people thought you were a spy you could end up dead, to put it simply. I also came from a poor neighborhood, because my family were immigrants, so being poor automatically meant you were more looked down upon. As for being _queer_ , that was equally as bad as being black at the time, except most people could hide that they were queer. Being queer…” Bucky sighed and shook his head “was a death sentence. People accused you of being queer and suddenly you get fired from work, no one wants to sell to you no more, you get kicked out of your house. It was a nightmare. If the wrong people heard that you had even just been accused of being queer, of being a _fairy_ ” the word tasted like blood in Bucky’s mouth “You could end up dead”

“Steve was often the target of all kinds of accusations. Partly because he was small and frail and easy to beat when he decided to stand up for himself. But also because Steve was an artist, and we lived together for almost ten years before the war happened, and he just, was always a little different. A little prouder, a little more just, a little too defensive to blend into the crowd. Steve got called queer, and worse versions of the term, many times, mostly behind his back. He knew, course, but that was one he never really reacted to, which made it worse. I can’t even remember how many times I ended up fighting guys at school, in back alleys, guys who lived on our street, just to defend Steve. And I was the one who avoided fights for the most part”

Loki’s mouth twitched into a soft smile, “But you’d always fight for Steve, you always have.”

Bucky nodded, “Exactly. And I always will. Because I love him, I always have. But it was different back then, for obvious reasons. Steve and I could never have been together, not without giving up everything we held dear. That’s part of the reason I’m also kinda glad my parents didn’t live long enough to even see Steve and I move in together. My mother, was an amazing woman, I loved her like hell. But, while she never really said it out loud, I knew she was against anything “queer”. As for my father…” Bucky laughed sharply “God, he would’ve actually killed me.”

Loki’s eyes widened, “Do you mean that seriously?”

Bucky nodded, “Yeah. My father served in the first World War. He was all about serving your country, and being the most powerful, and being the manliest, most macho man there was. The best men never showed fear. At least when I knew him, and when I knew him he was also an alcoholic and abusive towards my mother… So there’s that. But my mother always told me that it was the war’s fault. She told me that my father had been an amazing and kind man, but the war changed him, and that we just had to learn to live with the change. But yes, had my father found out I was not straight, he would’ve killed me, or moved my family to the other side of the country, or even sent me to some sort of camp or military school to “correct” me.”

“What about Steve? What were his parents like?” Loki asked, fidgeting with his collar.

A small smile snuck onto Bucky’s face and he suppressed a laugh, “Well, I don’t know about Steve’s father, he died in the war, Steve never even got to meet him. But Sarah… she was the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. She worked at the nearby hospital as a nurse, mainly in the tuberculosis ward. She did her absolute best to raise Steve as a single mom, which was almost impossible at the time. And I think she’d be incredibly proud of the man he became, except for the fighting, Sarah never really did like fighting, least of all when her son was involved.” Bucky paused, eyes trailing upward as he took a shaky breath “Sarah died when Steve was seventeen, I had just turned eighteen a few weeks before. That’s when Steve and I moved in together; Sarah was the one who persuaded me to move in with Steve.”

“Was it because she wanted you to take care of him? When she couldn’t?” Loki asked quietly, gently drumming his fingers on the controls of the ship.

Bucky stared down at his hands, a conflicted look on his face. “Partly, yeah” Bucky replied weakly “But, in reality, I think she knew.”

Bucky took a shaky breath and looked over at Loki, “I figured out that I was in love with Steve when I was sixteen, and it was one of the most terrifying moments of my life. And I think Sarah knew even before I did, but she never really said anything about it." Bucky's eyes flicked downward "Except once time."

“Steve and I were getting ready to go down to get some soda pop at the store, and he was hurriedly stuffing newspapers in his shoes because the new girl on the block, pretty little redhead named Shanna, was gonna be there. Steve had a major crush on Shanna at the time so he didn’t want to miss out on an opportunity to see her. But he’d been talking about her nonstop for the past fifteen minutes or so and by the time he disappeared ‘round the corner to deal with his shoes my face was too tired to keep a smile on. So I dropped it, and Sarah saw. By that time Sarah’s health was already starting to go downhill, so she beckoned me over to where she was sittin’ at the table and I sat down in the chair beside hers”

“She took my hands in hers and looked me right in the eye, and she said “Jamie, I want you to know how glad I am that Steve has you. You two have grown up the best of friends and though you have your spats, you always manage to make things right in the end. I hope that the two of you will remain great friends throughout your lives, and go on all kinds of adventures together.” She paused and rubbed her thumbs across my knuckles, her eyes were suddenly filled with sadness. Then she said “And while I hope you two stay safe, and out of harm’s way, I hope and pray that you get to be true to yourselves, that you are able to find happiness, and that you find a place to call home where you are loved and accepted for who you are.” 

“And I had that thought” Bucky chuckled sadly. “And I was suddenly so fucking afraid. Not of Sarah, but of life, of society. I was afraid for myself, and for Steve.” Bucky’s voice cracked “Because I knew Sarah was an angel unlike any other person I’d ever know, and that very few people would ever feel like she did about Steve and I. And I never wanted to put her in that position, where she felt like she might have to give up her son, because he was queer and because society wouldn’t accept him.” Bucky spat “And I almost started crying right then and there but she just kissed my head and hugged me so tight I thought I might break. I felt like I was gonna’ break. And then Steve yelled at me, cause I was gonna make him late, and so I left. But I looked back one last time as I rounded the corner and-” Bucky choked on a sob “And she was crying. She was crying because she knew that her son’s life was never going to be easy, or ideal, in any way shape or form, and I knew that I was going to be partially at fault all the while.”

“But, it wasn't your fault. You can not choose who you love James” Loki shook his head.

Bucky sighed, and wiped at his eyes. “I know” Bucky sniffled and then coughed “But it felt like it for a long time.”

Loki was silent for a long moment, desperately searching for a way to ease the tension in the room. He was extremely uncomfortable when people cried and were sad because he’d taught and trained himself to ignore those feeling for so long. Loki cleared his throat and said the first thing that came to mind.

“My father had my first boyfriend executed.” 

Bucky slowly looked to Loki and stared him down with extreme concern. “What?!” He demanded brashly.

Loki nodded “It was a rather traumatic experience, so I try not to think about it often”

Bucky held up a hand, “Hold on! Your father, had your boyfriend, executed?”

Loki nodded again, “Yes, it was barely several hundred years ago, so I remember it still.”

Bucky stammered for words, “But-? Why?” 

Loki's face dropped, “I don't know, not really.”

Bucky stared at him, “What happened?” 

Loki sighed, “Well, I was still very young at the time, hardly a teenager. Theoric, my boyfriend, was training to be a guard at the palace. That's how we met. It was a silly infatuation, we went on a few little dates, things like going to the library and chatting about books, running through the market looking for new trinkets, we once even went out to a stable and I introduced him to my personal horse, whose name was Sleipnir.”

Bucky balked, a thought dawning on him “Is that why you decided to name the ship that? Because that's what your horse was named?”

Loki nodded and continued his story “It is. Theoric and I had a grand time on our little outings. And when we were done, he would always promise to meet me for another. He always kept that promise. And then one day, he didn't come to meet me. I waited for a while, and came back later in the day, and even the next few days. I searched the castle, and asked every servant I could if they knew where he was. No one could tell me, or no one would. Eventually I gave up on him, assuming that he'd found someone else he fancied more than me. It wasn't until a few weeks later that I ran into one of Theoric's close friends that I was able to find out what had happened.”

Loki's hands gripped the steering mechanism so tight his knuckles were going white. “He'd been executed under charges of high treason. His body thrown to the wind without a proper burial, no honor or glory for him in the afterlife” Loki's hands shook and his eyes were deadly sharp. “I ran to my father and demanded to know an answer as to what Theoric had done that they had killed him so quickly, without even a proper trial. Odin refused to even speak to me; he wouldn't even open the door. My mother collected me in her arms and did her best to console me but looking back, she was angry as well, her eyes were glowing with rage.”

“I can only assume that Theoric was killed because he and I were too close for my father's comfort. Odin couldn't risk any future proposals from powerful kingdom's that might wish for me to marry into them” Loki took a deep breath and released his grip on the controls. “But I don't believe I'll ever know the truth, not know that both my parents are dead. That was the one of the first times I really ever doubted Odin though.”

Bucky sighed, “That's a fucking nightmare. What was-is Asgard like when it comes to sexuality and things like that? You talk like it's not even thought about.”

Loki shrugged, “In a way, it is not. On Asgard you may love who you love, there are no consequences. True, it is, was, harder for nobility and royalty as there were times when they could be forced to marry someone they were not physically attracted to, but in almost all cases those partners were the greatest as they respected and love one another as true partners, not just whirlwind romances or lustful adventures.”

Loki turned to Bucky, “I hope that Earth will someday soon be as accepting as Asgard is of all peoples. Even if it takes a little while”. Loki quirked his head and smiled wistfully “Well, as accepting as they are of every race except mine. I hope to work on that at some point soon as well.”

“Right” Bucky nodded “Because you're adopted?”

Loki nodded “I am of Jotunn blood. A Frost Giant. The Jotunn are the Asgardian’s longest living, most hated, and most suppressed enemy. And that feeling of hatred is returned by the Jotunn, as they have been held down by Asgard for so long. I do not know how they fare now that Laufey is dead and Asgard is gone.”

“Laufey?” Bucky asked curiously.

“Laufey, former king of the Jotunn. My father” Loki replied dryly.

“Oh” 

“I killed him.”

“Oh!”

Bucky and Loki fell into silence. Bucky was still trying to wrap his head around what he’d been told, and Loki was trying to decide if that had been the complete wrong way to take Bucky’s mind off his sad story. Loki eventually decided it was fine, for the time being. 

“Well, I must add that I find it interesting to hear you talk about your past” Loki admitted “The longer you talked about it, the more your accent began to seep through.”

Bucky’s eyes went wide, “Really? It did? I haven’t had an accent like that in years.”

Loki shrugged, “I suppose there are some things that cannot ever truly be erased from a person, no matter how hard you try. Like your hometown accent.”

Bucky chuckled, “Or your penchant for mischief.”

“Or your terrible fashion sense.”

“Or the fact you look like the villain from every Disney movie without even trying.”

Loki gave a mock gasp, hand flying to his chest “How dare you? I do try! It’s my main goal in life.”

Bucky laughed, shaking his head all the while. “Yeah, I can tell. That’s why all children are afraid of you!” Bucky snarked, suddenly feeling much more relaxed around the god of mischief than he had a few hours before. 

Loki scoffed, “At least I don’t look like I go howling at the moon when it’s full.”

Bucky gasped, “Hey! That’s rude! I do not look like a werewolf!”

Loki snickered, “You’re right, you’re more of a troll”

Bucky felt anger begin to spill into his words as a he snapped a retort “Well at least I don’t look like I’m always going to a funeral.”

“No, you just look like you live out of a dumpster.” Loki sneered playfully “And as for the funeral, I’m just planning yours.”

Bucky scoffed and rolled his eyes “As if, my boyfriend will kick your ass if you lay an hand on me.”

Loki smirked, “Oh trust me, I don’t need to even touch you to kill you.”

Bucky grunted, holding back a smile “Shut the fuck up and steer the goddamn ship.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------

It took several days for the Sleipnir to reach the entrance of Ouroboros. Flying there wasn't too terrible, Bucky and Loki would talk for a while, and then the conversation would peter off and they'd be silent with their thoughts for a few hours until one of them decided to speak again. That cycle repeated several times over the few days, the silence growing longer and longer the closer they got to their destination. By the time they reached the black hole, the nervous tension in the cockpit was palpable. Loki cleared his throat awkwardly "James, I'll warn you know. Due to the pressure of the space vaccum, you're probably going to end up unconscious. I'll be able to stay awake long enough to make sure we get through." Bucky eyed him, "You sure about that? Isn't it enough to kill some people?" Loki flipped a switch on the controls and shook his head "I've survived worse, I know how to deal with it." Bucky felt a pang of familiarity from the statement, but kept his words to himself. Bucky leaned back against his seat and took a deep breath as he felt Loki urge the ship faster. Bucky felt the pressure begin to close down on him, and after a long minute Bucky blacked out. Bucky was left drifting in a state of black consciousness until long after the pressure was relieved and he felt Loki gently shake his shoulder. Bucky slowly blinked back to awareness as Loki slowed the ship. They were in a pocket of space-time, an enormous bubble surrounding what looked more like a 18th century English castle perched on a floating island. Loki slowly lowered the ship onto the cobbled stone of the walk way. Bucky couldn't help but notice the fountain in the yard that was missing a large chunk and wondered if the castle had been, transported, from somewhere else. He wondered if Earth was missing any castles. 

At the entrance to the castle a woman was waiting for them with a plastic smile. She gestured for them to follow her inside the castle doors and the pair exchanged a glance as she disappeared into the darkness of the doorway. Bucky slowly followed Loki inside, hand on the blaster Loki had given him the entire time. 

Loki followed the woman down the main hall, at the end of which rested a desk between two sets of doors. He walked with poise that made him seem at ease in the grand hall, refusing to betray the fear and anxiety the twitching of his fingers suggested. Loki was grateful to have a warrior like Bucky to guard his back. 

The woman methodically strolled down to the desk and rounded it. She turned and bared that smile on them, eyes glassy as she motioned for them to look at something on the desk. Her voice was harsh and robotic when she spoke, “If you could please sign in, we can retrieve your I.D. badges and begin our journey to go visit the Ancient Ones.”

Loki and Bucky exchanged confused glares and slunk over to the desk. On it rested a single display frame, much like the ones Bucky had seen in Wakanda, but more, space-y. Loki cautiously clicked the ‘Sign In’ tab and typed his name onto the list. Bucky quickly followed suit; the moment he finished the woman jumped back to life.

“Hello travelers, it is my pleasure to welcome you to Ouroboros. Welcome Loki, son of Laufey, adopted son of Odin, God of tricksters and lies” she barked. Loki flinched and she continued “And welcome to you as well James Buchanan Barnes, Winter Soldier, White Wolf of Wakanda, chief commander of the Varangian and Einherjar guards”

Loki and Bucky froze, eyes wide. Loki held up a hand “Pardon me, what was that last one?”

The woman ignored him, placing a hand on her chest “I am Frivan, head of the castle upkeep here in Ouroboros. If you would please hold out your left arm, I will secure your I.D. chips.” 

Before either of them could react Frivan reached across the desk and grabbed Loki’s left arm. The Asgardian yelped and tried to pull away as she yanked up his sleeve. Bucky grabbed Loki’s other arm to support him as Frivan sank a long needle into Loki’s skin. Loki squeezed his eyes shut, desperately trying to regulate his breathing as the needle was pulled from his arm. Bucky patted Loki’s shoulder as the Asgardian stepped away from the desk.

Frivan held out one hand as the other reloaded the needle “Give me your left arm please”

Bucky exhaled heavily “Trust me, the left arm isn’t going to work for me”

Frivan was silent for a moment, frozen like a doll, then she repeated her phrase “Give me your left arm please.”

Bucky growled “Look I-” he was cut off as Frivan grabbed his metal arm and tried to sink the needle into it. Bucky sighed as the needle crumpled against the vibranium of his arm. He watched tiredly as a clear liquid ran down the side of his metal forearm and managed to snag the miniscule chip that came from it. Bucky tucked the chip in the inside his left pocket, hoping that it would work.

Frivan put the needle away and stepped out from behind the desk. She motioned towards the door on the right, “If you would follow me, I’ll now take you to visit the Ancient Ones. Be careful to remain near me so you do not get lost, we would hate to have to send a search party after you and delay your meeting any longer.”

Bucky and Loki followed her through the door, Loki rubbing at his now-covered forearm. Bucky sent him a look and Loki nodded, assuring the soldier that he was fine. The moment they stepped through the back door, and it closed behind them, both could tell there was no escape. They’d just have to pray for the best. 

The castle was absolutely deserted. There was not a soul in sight as Frivan lead them through the twisting corridors and long hallways. It didn’t escape either of them that everything in the castle was not quite their size though. Bucky felt like a child, wandering past doorways he could barely reach the handle of and tables he couldn’t see the top of. Bucky also noticed that the castle was somewhat of a cacophony of styles. They’d walk past one room filled with antique wooden furniture from what looked like the early 1900s, and then the next room would looked more futuristic than anything Bucky had ever seen. There was a dungeon room, one that looked like it belonged in a farmhouse, a fancy French castle from the late 1700’s (why he knew that, Bucky wasn’t sure), and even one that looked like the inside of a fancy yacht.

After close to an half hour of walking around the castle Loki finally lost his patience. Loki stopped in his tracks, glaring at the servant with a vicious gaze “Enough! We’ve been wandering around this castle for far longer than necessary and you still have yet to take us to see the Eternals! I demand you take us to see them now!”

Frivan didn’t waver, she didn’t even blink. “I must apologize for your discomfort, but this castle is a maze, should you be allowed to wander it, you most certainly would get lost.”

Loki balled his fists, “Then I demand we see the Eternals, now! No more circles! No more loops! No more tricks!”

Frivan blinked, her smile fading slightly “They are ready to see you.” Frivan turned on her heel and moved to stand by a seemingly normal looking door near the end of the hall “The final destination.”

She said it with such a resolution that Bucky felt a chill go down his spine and pressed closer to Loki. The pair moved to stand before the door. Frivan’s face fell to a serious look “Now, before you enter the chamber I do feel the need to remind you of what you face. These are the most ancient beings in the universe, more powerful than any other, and could squash you like a bug, so I suggest you refrain from causing them any distress or anger” Loki and Bucky stared at her fearfully as she spoke.

Her face sprung back into the cheap grin and she opened the door. “Best of luck!” she chirped as the door slid open. 

Bucky and Loki recoiled slightly, the bright light of the room before them was overwhelming. Loki could feel immense power radiating from the room; it ran through him and he shuddered. Bucky couldn’t feel it the same way, it was more of an oppressive power, looming over him and trying to smash him like a bug. The pair slowly stepped inside the room, instantly analyzing the massive hall they’d stepped into.

It reminded Bucky of the inside of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Papal Basilica in Rome. Bucky wasn’t sure when he’d been there, but it certainly felt like he had. The ceiling stretched many feet above them, supported by the marble arches of large alcoves that lined the walls. The walls on the inside of each alcove were covered in tile motif, telling a story too complicated to read without stopping. The floor beneath them was made of grand tiles as well, each one depicting a scene with an Infinity Stone at the center. 

At the far end of the room the roof melted into a large dome, through which light was pouring through onto a semicircle of thrones. There were seven in total, each one made of a different material, and shaped into a different form. It was easy to identify which chair belonged to each holder of an Infinity Stone based merely off the color and design. Bucky wondered if Asgard had once looked anything like it. 

Loki felt a stir of deja vu in his mind as he and Bucky walked towards the center of the room. Reflective tile floor, death walk, a fearsome warrior beside him, and an extremely powerful person awaiting them with some sort of threat in mind… Loki suppressed a shudder as he was reminded of the Grandmaster and his time on Sakaar. Bucky eyed him but chose not to ask, Loki appreciated that. He did not feel the need to relive those memories

Bucky on the other hand, was trying, and failing, to stay calm. Sure, he’d faced down dictators and aliens and a titan who had killed half the universe but it was different. The closer they got to the thrones the more crushing weight he felt on him, trying to bury him, push him away. 

Loki held up and hand and they both stopped about ten yards from the edge of the semicircle. The air shifted in the room and Loki stiffened as shadowy figures began to materialize in the chairs. It was terrifying feeling, like the sudden rush of adrenaline you get when you reach the top of a roller coaster and then the world falls out from underneath you for a second. Each Eternal appeared in their own way, Loki could tell by the hints of magic he sensed. Small dots of light drifted from the domed ceiling into the middle throne, almost mixing with the greenish dust that poured into the seat on its right. Beside the dust, the chair that was sucking on the energy and natural force of the universe. 

All at once, the seven beings appeared. Two teleported in, another was a hologram, and the one sat in the chair made of twisted metal and bones was suddenly glaring at them. The Ancient Ones were giants. Huge creatures that dwarfed Thanos as though he was a small child. Their ornamental thrones were held in a circle, each decorated with murals and carvings to fit their character. Each of the six looked their way as they entered the room. Bucky felt his blood drain from him and was later grateful when Loki grabbed his arm.

The room was silent for a long moment, and then one began to move. Her skin was an iridescent purple color, but was soft and delicate. The angles of her skull and face were sharp and angular, like armor. The milky glow from her three eyes glinted of the large amounts of gold jewelry that adorned her body. . She reminded Bucky of a little of E.T. though, maybe it was the shape of her face. She fixed her luminescent eyes on them and smiled softly, revealing shark-like teeth. “Finally, we were wondering how long it would take you to arrive” she remarked in a lilting voice. 

A second giant scoffed angrily, his voice rough and gravelly “Hardly” He turned three pairs of blood red eyes on them “Thyrio predicted their arrival many years ago” he motioned to the giant beside him. His milky skin matched greatly with that of Thyrio’s; the predictor was an albino with deep black eyes as his only facial features. Kaiscion nodded, his ears flipping in acknowledgement. 

A fourth giant spoke, her inky charcoal skin illuminated by the cracks of magic littering her skin and hair “Enough, we should not prattle on” She turned amber eyes to the newcomers and held out her hand “Welcome Loki, son of Odin, and James, warrior of Earth. We are the Ancient Ones, the Ouroboros branch of the Eternals. We have called you here for a specific reason-”

The angry giant with red eyes lunged forward in his chair, hand extended towards Loki and Bucky “You are to give back the Infinity Stones you stole immediately!”

The giant sitting across from him snarled and spoke in a voice like crunching gravel “Quiet Kronos! They have just arrived! We haven’t even had time to give them an explanation, you can’t just demand the Stones!”. Bucky would’ve been more grateful but he was distracted by the fact that it looked like a Tree Ent had stepped right off the pages of a book and into the room. 

The purple Eternal, who sat to the Tree Ent’s right, nodded in agreement. “Uranos speaks the truth, we must first explain ourselves. Besides, they are not the ones who took the Stones, we are all aware of that” she murmured, eyes blinking slowly. 

The Eternal on the far left of the semicircle, who seemed a good bit smaller than the others, made her case “Then would you like to tell them, Makkari? Or shall Farbauti tell them?” she motioned to the charcoal-skinned giant sitting across from her with one of her four arms. 

Makkari tilted her head, her golden earrings pinging off of each other “I do not know.” She turned and looked to the giantess in the center of the circle “Perhaps our leader should like to decide?”

The Eternal in the center merely glanced at the smaller Eternal on the end. Makkari laughed lightly “It seems it is your turn, Ceyote.”

The smallest Eternal shifted nervously in her throne before turning a smile on Loki and Bucky. “I understand you must be nervous in our presence, you have every right to be, as you know who and what we are. That being said, know that no harm will come to you as long as you do not attempt to break the rules of Ouroboros”

Ceyote continue, her bright blue eyes focusing on them “We are the Ouroboros branch of the Eternals, we watch over this universe and those who reside in it. Many years ago, when the universe was created, the Infinity Stones came into being, as you well know. Not long after, the Eternals began to arise. There were six Eternals at first, and each wielded one of the main Infinity Stones, they were the ones who sealed away Ego so Nemesis could never return. Eventually a second generation of Eternals arose, and six of them were chosen to wield the Stones. However, only a few millennia after the received the Stones, they were stolen, by mortals. Since then the power of the Stones has been unleashed on the universe

“In light of Thanos’ actions, the Eternals have decided to finally reclaim the power of the Stones and remove them from mortal reach. Never again shall an event such as the Infinity War occur. Yet, to do this, we must collect the Stones. Which is why you two, among four others, have been called here. Every time the Stones are passed to a new holder, as well as when they are used for a mass purpose, lose a part of their power. After Thanos used the Stones, their power was so greatly weakened that they were no longer able to keep a physical form and were reduced to pure energy. Now, that energy resides in six mortal beings, six Hosts, you are two of which. We ask that you comply with our wishes, and allow us to remove the Stones from your bodies without any fuss. It will be a painless procedure, and afterwards you will be allowed to return to your normal lives. Do you have any questions?” Ceyote finished with a bright smile.  
Loki stared down the Eternals “Pardon my behavior, but I’ve seen an Infinity Stone in its energy form be removed from someone before, it is not a painless process.”

The same angry giant from earlier (Kronos, Bucky would later remember his name was) snarled at him “You dare contradict our word! You dare mention the foolish mortal who hosted my stone!”

“Jane Foster is anything but a fool!” Loki snapped “She is one of few mortals worthy of respect! Do not suggest that it was an insult to have such a bright mind as a host, not when there have been evil men less worthy who have held it.”

Kronos slammed his fist on the arm of his twisted metal throne “And would you consider yourself one of the less worthy?! Or do you truly have yourself so fooled as to believe you’re worthy of a stone!”

Loki stumbled back into Bucky, who grabbed his arm to steady him. Several of the other Eternals opened their mouths to reply but a new movement cut them all off.

The eternal in the center stepped forward, hand raised to quiet the others. There was something about her that set Bucky on edge. Maybe it was her milky white eyes, or her porcelain skin, or the way she seemed to almost glow as she walked towards then. A faint rustling noise reached Bucky as her long coat tails swept the ground, muffling the click of her golden heels.

The giantess slowed to a stop a few yards from them of Loki and Bucky and dropped to a knee. Her doll face melted into a soft smile, her milky eyes blinking slowly “Please forgive my allies for their harsh words, they were greatly stressed by the actions of Thanos, and merely wish to ensure it does not happen again.”

The Eternal held out her hands in a welcoming gesture, “I am Ihedell, the leader of this compound. It is my job to keep all of you hosts in good health and safety while you are under my care. We will allow you to consider our offer for a time, just as the other hosts are.”

Bucky exchanged a glance with Loki “The other hosts, they're here too?”

Ihedell nodded and motioned for someone on the side of the room to step forward, “Of course, we need all of you to be here for us to be able to retrieve the Stones from you. They belong together, just as you all now do.” 

Bucky and Loki watched nervously as four figures emerged from the shadows, two of which were unknown to them, the other two, sent chills of apprehension through them. On the far left was a man in dark green robes, who held a deepness in his dark eyes. Loki felt a flicker of recognition in the back of his mind when he looked at the man, and then at the being beside him. It was a Jotunn, but not a typical one. They stood at just over seven feet, and had long white hair that fell in curly waves down to their lower back. They looked distinctly less Jotun than those Loki remembered seeing before.

As for the other two, they were easy to recognize. Carol Danvers and Gamora Zen Whoberi Ben Titan, to use the assassin’s full name. Both Gamora and Carol looked to be in perfect shape, but extremely nervous. Gamora stared Loki down with wide eyes, like she was trying to warn him of something. 

Bucky stiffened and looked back at Ihedell, “How long do we have, to consider your offer?”

Ihedell shrugged, “Time passe quite differently here than it does in the rest of the universe, though that is because we exist outside space and time. What I mean by that, if you wish to get back before all your friends and family grow old and die, I suggest you decide as quickly as is possible.”

Ihedell rose to her feet and turned back to her fellow Eternals. Loki pulled Bucky back in time to avoid them both being smacked by her long coat tails. Ihedell strode back to her seat “What say you, my fellow Eternals? How long shall we give them to decide?”

“No time!” Kronos spat “They decide now!”. The Albino beside him nodded, beetle eyes narrowing into a glare. 

The large green alien shook his head “No, Kronos” He turned to Ihedell “Give them a week, I will ensure that we stay on course with the time of their world, so they may not be forced into an unwise decision”

Ihedell smiled and turned to the others “Any other words?”

The Makkaril shifted, her many golden ornaments jingling “I agree with Uranos, seven days shall be plenty”

The smallest Eternal spoke, folding both sets of her arm across her chest “Will a week be enough? This is a life and death decision for two of them”

Ihedell’s smile sharpened “It will be, Ceyote. They are clever beings, they know what is at s-”

A final voice cut her off and the last Eternal finally spoke “No, give them two weeks.” All eyes turned to the chair on the far right end of the semi-circle. Loki and Bucky both shied away from the newcomer.

She was the complete opposite of Ihedell in every way. Skin like the night sky, hair blacker than night, markings on her face that almost made it seem like she’d been crying liquid metal. He leaned forward in her chair, examining them with lavender eyes “How can you expect so much from mortals? Give them two weeks, and allow Uranos to keep time on track as well.”

Ihedell sighed, “Farbauti, they do not require so much time-”

Farbauti sent her a wicked glare, “Do you question the fore sight of the Space Stone? What say you of my prediction Uranos, wielder of the Time Stone.”

Uranos sighed and shook his head, dark eyes blinking rapidly, “She may be correct Ihedell, we should allow them the time necessary. It is not as though an extra week will injure us in anyway.”

Kronos huffed angrily and glared at Farbauti angrily. Thyrio carefully placed a hand on his shoulder. Ihedell nodded solemnly, giving Farbauti a cold look “Very well, we shall do as you say Farbauti. But should anything go wrong because of it, you will be sent back to the main council.”

Farbauti glared at her, “Do what you wish”

Ihedell turned back to Loki and Bucky “You two may join your fellow Host for the time, they will show you to your living quarters. Though you are welcome to go where you like here in the compound, remember, you will not be allowed to leave until you make your decision. Now, go rest and consider what we have told you.” Ihedell motioned for them to join the other four and the duo had no real choice but to comply.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

 

The group of hosts silently advanced towards the inner workings of the castle, caught somewhere between a rapid march and a terrified shuffle. For once, Bucky was extremely glad that Loki was with him. Bucky had met Gamora only very briefly, and Captain Marvel he’d only seen from afar and been told stories about. So having a… friend? Close acquaintance? Yeah, having someone Bucky knew at least slightly and could partially trust was a slight bit of relief. Loki felt the same, and remained close to Bucky’s side as they were escorted through the castle and into what appeared to be a meeting hall.  
Gamora met Bucky’s eye at one point as she fell back to walk beside him; she was evidently grateful to have familiar company as well. Carol led the group into the hall and motioned for them to sit around the table. Gamora and the young woman with the blue skin followed suit without word. The older male sniffed angrily and marched right past the table, disappearing into a door at the other end of the hall.  
Gamora snarled as soon as the door was shut, “Thank goodness, we don’t need any snitches in our midst.”  
Carol shot her a pointed look at Loki and Bucky sank into their chairs, “True, but it is likely he will still try to eavesdrop and stop any plan we might make.”  
“I can stop that” Loki barked sharply, “For now, what in Asgard’s name is happening here?”  
Carol sighed, dropping into her own seat, “They’re keeping us here until they can take the stones back, they won’t allow us to leave until they do.”  
Bucky looked at Gamora, “Did they kidnap you? We got a call from your team just a few days because they wanted Dr. Strange to help them find you.”  
Gamora face lit up, “Yes! Almost a month ago if my math is correct. I’ve been stuck here the entire time.” Gamora rubbed the back of her hand and glanced down “Are they alright? How are they doing?”  
“They’re fine” Bucky sighed.  
“They are just as loud and rambunctious as always, though Quill is far beyond concerned about you” Loki supplemented. Loki turned to Carol “What of you? Did they take you as well?”  
Carol shook her head “No, I was able to figure out the dreams fairly quickly and answered the call myself. Then I arrived and realized that I wasn’t going to be able to leave until you two showed up; it’s been a long couple weeks.”  
“Do you have a plan to get out of here?” Bucky asked “Or are you just planning on giving up the Stones?”

“Trust me, Sergeant” Carol sighed “If I thought the Stones would be more of a danger on the grasp of the Eternals, I would never have come here. But, the Eternals believe in non-intervention, giving them the Stones would keep them safer than anyone in the universe could.”

“So you do plan on giving up your stone?” Loki asked sharply “And what of you Gamora? Do you plan the same?”

Gamora’s eyes narrowed as she rose from her seat. “You think I want it?” she hissed “I died so Thanos could retrieve this stone, I have no want of it myself!”

Bucky grabbed Loki’s forearm, eyes fixated on the other side of the table. Bucky turned his eyes on the one person he’d forgot hadn’t left them. “Who are you?” He asked the Jotunn.

Gamora, Carol, and Loki all shifted into a defensive stance as the Jotunn rose from her seat, looking a good foot and a half shorter than she had before. “My apologies for not introducing myself sooner, but it didn’t quite feel like it was the correct moment. I am Eira of Jotunheim.”

Loki stared her down nervously, “You are rather small for a Jotun, and I’ve never heard of a Jotunn being able to naturally shapeshift.”

Eira tilted her head, a mass of her white hair falling across her shoulders. “I am only half Jotunn. As for what you’ve heard, I doubt any of it is true” a sly smile drifted across her face “As for what I’ve heard of you, Loki, is that you tend to be a trickster. And that your lineage is not what you believed it was.”

Loki’ chair toppled over as he shot to his feet, fury in his eyes, fury mingled with fear “And what exactly have you heard?” he asked lowly.

Eira stared him down with blood red eyes, “That you know not where you stand, son of Laufey.”

Loki inhaled sharply and Bucky rose to his feet, “Enough, we don’t have time for this right now. Eira, which stone do you have?”

Eira turned on him, suddenly reminding Bucky of Wanda with the look of fear in her eyes “The Mind Stone”

“Do you plan on giving it up?” Bucky asked.

Eira shifted, fiddling with the hem of her fur cloak, which Bucky had no idea how she was wearing in the warmth of the room. “I do not need the Mind Stone, it will do me no good on my quest. But, I don’t wish for the stones to fall into the hands of the Eternals, they lost the stones once, they’ll lose them again. Or maybe they’ll decide to use them to keep the universe in line. Or maybe they won’t, we have no way of knowing their plans right now”

“And what of the other one? Will he give up his stone?” Loki growled.

Gamora shook her head, “There’s no way he won’t give it back to the Eternals, he acts like a lap dog, more than willing to be rid of it.”

“Who is he?” Bucky asked “He looks like he’s from Earth”

Carol nodded, “He is. His name is Mordo, he’s a former ally of Dr. Strange.”

Loki and Bucky both stiffened, Loki’s eyes narrowed “Former?” 

Carol nodded, “I don’t know the entire story, but from what little hints Mordo has dropped it sounds as though he parted with the wizarding sanctum upon Strange’s promotion to Sorcerer Supreme. He said it was something to do with his hatred for the Dark Dimension and all who use its powers.”

Loki nodded, “I never met the former Sorcerer Supreme personally but I’d heard rumors that the longevity of her life and the immensity of her power had lead some to believe she might have been dabbling in darker magics”. Loki shifted on his face “I believe her death is one of the events that allowed Thanos to enact his plan, as was the death of Odin.”

“The death of your father?” Gamora asked curiously.

Loki’s mouth opened and then quickly snapped shut, like he’d bitten back his original thought. Loki inhaled sharply “Yes, the passing of both Odin and the Ancient One allowed Thanos to pursue the Stones without fear of retribution, they protected the Time and Space stones for many years.” 

Gamora brushed her hair out of her face, “Ego probably didn’t help with that either”

Bucky raised an eyebrow, “Ego? Who’s that?”

Gamora’s face twisted to a look of anger and disdain, “Peter’s father. Ego, the Living Planet. He was a celestial being of immense power. We ended up killing him when we realized the only reason he wanted Peter was to steal Peter’s power and use it so he could take over the universe.”

Carol sighed, “Well that definitely would’ve put a damper on Thanos’ plans, I can see why that was a problem though.”

Gamora scowled at the table, “As much as I hated Ego, his plan wasn’t nearly as bad as Thanos.”

Loki growled, “Nothing is as bad as that I don’t think. But now we know that five of the seven Infinity Stones are secured, that number is still in our favor.”

All eyes scowled at Loki and exchanged glances. “Seven?” Carol barked disbelievingly “Loki, there’s only six stones”

Loki shook his head “No, Thanos only used six stones, because even he understood that bringing the seventh into the mix would destroy the universe as we know it”

Gamora slammed a hand on the table, “Thanos never mentioned a seventh stone, why wouldn’t he look for it if he knew it existed?!”

Loki growled “Because, if all seven stones are brought together than a being more powerful than Thanos, even more so than the Eternals will be brought back to our dimension. Her name is Nemesis, and she alone can control all seven stones. Even Thanos knew better than to risk her resurrection.”

Bucky glared at Loki “You’ve only ever mentioned looking for six people with Stones, why didn’t you mention this before now?”

“The Ego Stone was not used by Thanos, or anyone else in the Infinity War. There is no reason it should have been affected. And besides that, the Ego gem resides in a different realm of existence, it should not have been changed” Loki explained, picking at his palm nervously. 

“Then it shouldn’t matter where it is” Eira tapped her nails on the table “What’s more important is what our plan is. We obviously can’t stay here, or give up the Stones, so what are we going to do?”

Carol mused over the question for a moment. “We have to get off this planet. The hard part is that no matter where we are, or where we go, the Eternals will be able to find us, they can see everything in the universe.”

“Not everywhere” Eira barked, eyes falling on Loki once more. 

Loki hissed and buried his face in his hands. Bucky, Gamora, and Carol exchanged a look and Carol spoke again “Where? Where can they not find us? Where do we need to go?”

Eira met her gaze, blood red eyes glimmering “Jotunheim, the land of my people” she pointed to Loki “And his”

“Nothing will find us there” Eira sighed “No one ever looks to Jotunheim anymore, not since Laufey’s defeat by Odin. It is hardly likely they will search for us there.”

Gamora raised an eyebrow “Even though two of us are of Jotunn blood?”

Loki sighed and looked up again, nodded to acknowledge Eira’s plan. “They won’t look for us there” He shifted and tried to suppress a smile “Both the Guardians and the Avengers have gained quite the reputation in recent times, starting with my defeat, then that of Ronan’s, of Ego’s, and now of Thanos’. They’ll assume we ran right back to Earth to try and get help from our allies.”

Loki met Eira’s gaze, “It’s an insane idea, and there’s a very slim chance of success, but your plan might just be simple and stupid enough to work.” 

Eira smirked, “How honored I am to have my plan be acknowledged by Loki” she quipped sarcastically.

Bucky sighed and rubbed his eyes with his hand, trying to push down a looming headache at the realization there was now two of them “So, what’s the plan? Besides going to Jotunheim. We’re not just going to be able to walk out of here”

Carol shrugged her shoulders, “Honestly, getting out of the castle won’t be too difficult, it’ll be getting out of Ouroboros that will be the trial. There are very few servants here in the castle, and they were only created to help us, you met one on your way in.”

Loki nodded, “The android woman, Frivan.”

Carol nodded, “I’d hardly call them androids though. They are programmed to perform specific tasks, give a few specific answers, and barely interact with us. They’re pretty much just computers that can walk, as I’m sure you noticed when you met Frivan.”

Eira nodded, “I’ve been here awhile, so trust me when I say they don’t make the best conversation partners. Unless you like one-sided conversations with the other party occasionally making completely unrelated statements.”

Carol nodded, “We should be able to wait until a down cycle of activity, grab what we need, and sneak out on one of our ships using the Space Stone” She sent Loki a pointed look “As long as you can control it.”

Loki glared at her, “Of course I can. And once we arrive on Jotunheim I’ll be able to use it to seal of any pre-existing pathways into the realm. Which should help keep us from being discovered.”

“What about Mordo?” Gamora tapped her knife on the table “Should he catch wind of any of this he’ll tell the Eternals without hesitation”

“We’ll just have to ensure he’s kept in the dark and out of our way” Loki snapped “We cannot risk discovery, else we tempt death”

Bucky titled his head, eyeing Loki “But you know, that could actually come in handy later” All eyes turned on him and Bucky sighed “Okay look, I may not be a master magician, or a superhuman capable of unbelievable feats, but I’ve always been a very good strategist.”

All eyes focused on him. Loki’s mouth curled into an excited smirk, Gamora seemed skeptical but open, Eira looked like she was surprised, and Carol looked more than mildly intrigued. Carol motioned for him to continue.

Bucky smiled slyly, “I’ve got a plan.”


	5. Taking the Plunge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time in Ouroboros vs. some revelations at home on Earth. This won't end well for anyone, I'll say that. Also, switching POV quite often, keep an eye out for the changes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is.... really late. Long story short, school has been kicking my butt. Between regular class work and working on my college applications I've been swamped, and then it's also been Nutcracker season. I've been working on this since the end of August. AUGUST. And just got it finished. It feels kinda messy, like i couldn't get my thoughts out properly, but I needed to get them out so I can continues writing the story. Which kinda makes me upset, but also proud, cause I finally managed to finish it. It's a little shorter than normal, but the story line fits best divided like it is now. So I hope you guys enjoy, I don't really know when the next chapter will be up, so I won't take down the hiatus tag, but I hope to be back again before Christmas at least with a new update.

Wanda felt the cold chill of anxiety brush across her chest as she watched the quinjet land on the compound’s landing pad. This was it. This was how she died. Not really, she'd certainly escape this alive, maybe with serious restrictions and would possibly be under strict surveillance. But Loki and Bucky? They were dead. Even if they managed to make it back alive. 

Wanda had lied to Peter, and to Shuri, and to every member of the Avengers team by covering for Loki and Bucky. At first she'd been reluctant to trust Loki, but Bucky had and he was even more paranoid than she was. So she let it go. She let them leave Earth without protest. 

It'd been two weeks. They hadn't contacted her or anyone in two weeks. And they weren't on Jotunheim either, she could feel it, even if she couldn't find them. Wanda had contacted Dr. Strange a few hours previously, who was still searching for Gamora with the Guardians, and let him know of the situation. Wanda's mind flicked back to their conversation.

_“I'm sorry” Strange looked more than slightly angry “Loki and James went where? To do what?”_

_Wanda sighed nervously, “Jotunheim, Loki said he had to compete for the crown and wanted Bucky to help him take it back.”_

_“And you believed him?” Strange cried indignantly._

_“No!” Wanda snapped. She sighed and dropped into the chair across from Strange’s “I knew he was lying, and he was aware I knew. I think they both were. Besides, Bucky told Peter a completely different right in front of me; neither of them are stupid enough to make a mistake like that.”_

_“So they're on Jotunheim then” Strange scoffed and leaned back in his chair, hand resting against his face “Why don't we just go get them before the others get back? Then I won't have to worry about them and can go back to searching for Gamora with the Guardians”._

_Wanda wrung her hands, “Because, they're not on Jotunheim.”_

_Strange fixed sharp eyes on her, “Then where are they?”_

_Wanda met his steely gaze, “I don't… know.”_

_Strange looked like he was going to lose his head, “What? Haven't you searched for them?! I taught you how.”_

_Wanda shifted angrily and leaned forward, “You don't think I have? I've tried a dozen times Stephen.” She shook her head “I can't find them anywhere within the reaches of this universe”_

_Stephen paled slightly, tensing in terror “What do you mean? Do you mean they're no longer in the universe?”_

_Wanda tilted her head uncertainly, “I don't know. They've been gone almost three weeks now, and for the last two, I think Loki's been trying to contact me.”_

_“But for some reason, it's not working. It feels as though we're standing on either side of a glass wall Stephen. I can feel Loki trying to reach out to me, the hints of his magic in my mind, but I can't understand what he's trying to tell me. I can't see him” Wanda tugged on one of her rings nervously._

_Strange leaned back in his chair, eyes flicking as his mind raced to find a possible answer. After a long moment he sighed and rose from his seat, fixing a solid look on Wanda “I have an idea of where to look for them. I'll need to do some research but I think I can do it. As for you, you need to return to the compound, do what you can to keep the returning Avengers from doing anything extremely stupid”_

_Wanda rose from her seat as Strange opened a portal back to the compound for her. Wanda moved to stand beside him. Strange sighed and looked down at her “Good luck, you'll need it.”_

_Wanda nodded, “You too. Please keep me updated.”_

_Strange nodded, “I will certainly try.”_

Wanda's breath choked in her throat as she saw the first of the Avengers begin to exit onto the tarmac. The room swam around her and she leaned against the wall, falling away from the window. Peter glanced up at her from his spot on the couch “Wanda? Are you okay?”

Wanda slumped back against the wall and shook her head, trying to push down the overwhelming wave of panic rolling from her stomach up into her chest and throat. Peter jumped up from his seat and made his way over to her. Peter grabbed Wanda's hand “You should sit down, I know you haven't been feeling well. I'm sure no one is going to mind if you don't go down to meet them” he said carefully.

Wanda nodded absently and let Peter lead her over to an armchair. Wanda sank into the chair, curling in on herself. Wanda had been very grateful for Peter's presence over the past few weeks. The longer Loki and Bucky were gone, the more stressed she became, the more magic she expended trying to find them, and the more her mental health had begun to falter. She'd done her best to keep up her facade, and with the amount of calls from Vis decreasing the closer they got to completing the Accord revisions, it hadn't been that hard. 

But Peter and Shuri, they saw her every day, they were perfectly aware of how she’d been feeling. And based off the passive-aggressive comments she’d been spewing to Wanda, Shuri knew at least partly why. Shuri was brilliant, even Banner and Stark couldn’t keep up with her all the time, but that also meant she could see right through people. It took Shuri six hours after Bucky and Loki had left to connect the fact that there was something off in the stories she was being told. Wanda should’ve been more careful.

Wanda should’ve been more careful, yes, because she had no idea what she was in for with Shuri. It wasn’t just passive-aggressive comments from the teen she had to deal with, but a foul temper, brittle anger, and verbal snaps turned on Wanda. Wanda could feel Shuri’s concern and fear for Bucky’s safety growing with every hour he was gone and there was no word from them. 

As for Peter, it was almost impossible to tell what he knew. He was concerned, but whether it was over the Accords, Bucky and Loki, or Wanda’s declining strength and her conflicts with Shuri, Wanda wasn’t sure. Wanda watched numbly as Shuri snaked her way into the room, throwing Wanda a sharp glance as she made her way over to Peter.

“Ready to go see them?” Shuri sniffed, fiddling with her kimoyo beads.

Peter nodded and sent Wanda a grin, “We'll be back in a few minutes, hang in there.” 

Wanda nodded and curled farther in on herself as bile rose in her throat. She listened as Peter and Shuri exited the room, silently sending a wisp of magic trailing behind them. Wanda followed it, watching through it as the teens made their way down to the helipad, chatting almost excitedly about how much they were looking forward to showing off what they’d managed to create over the past few weeks. 

Wanda watched numbly as the teens excited the building and walked onto the tarmac. Despite her exhaustion and anxiety, Wanda’s heart couldn’t help but flip a little when she saw her friends waiting by the quinjet. They all looked exhausted, especially Steve and Tony, who were the last to stumble off the jet. But the instant they looked out at the compound Wanda could begin to feel their energy replenish, happiness and contentedness seeping through them. Wanda watched as Peter ran into Tony, pulling him into a tight hug, which Tony returned gratefully. Shuri greeted her brother with the Wakandan salute, then she was pulled into a hug as well. It took about three seconds for Steve to realize that Bucky wasn’t with them, and for him to exchange a glance with Natasha, Sam, and then Vision.

Thor glanced at the building, but seemed less put off than Steve was over Bucky’s lacking presence at his brother’s absence. Vision looked at the windows to the common room and Wanda subconsciously sank further into her chair, feeling his presence searching for her. 

Nat was the first to speak up, addressing Peter from where he was curled into Tony’s embrace “So Spiderling, where’s everyone else? I’m fairly sure we left more than just the two of you here”

Peter reluctantly pulled himself away from Tony, “Wanda’s up in the common room resting, she hasn’t been feeling too good lately.”

Several worried glances were exchanged, more than a few of which were focused on Vision. Wanda managed to cocoon herself further into her blanket as a look crossed Vision’s face, one she wasn’t sure she’d seen yet. 

Shuri stepped forward “As for Loki and Bucky, they’re both in Wakanda right now. They were called in as backup almost three weeks ago” she snapped sharply

The Avengers all stiffened and T’Challa’s eyes narrowed to a glare, “Why was there backup needed in Wakanda?! And why was I not made aware of the situation?” he hissed warningly.

Shuri turned a sharp glare on him “While you all were off working on the Accords, the higher-ups decided to cut you all off from world happenings. As long as it wasn’t world-threatening you weren’t to be disturbed” An angry ripple of whispers cut through the group as Shuri turned back to T’Challa “The border wars in Wakanda worsened drastically, and it seems the factions got in contact with some spectacular weaponry. Loki and Bucky were sent down to help deal with the problem, as Bucky is an honorary member of the royal family, and the Asgardians are the ones most at stake should Wakanda be invaded” 

Wanda could sense anger rolling off T’Challa in waves, and the beginning of anger from Thor as well. T’Challa squared his shoulders “Who decided I should not be informed of this? And why were you not sent with them? You are second in line for the throne!”

Shuri growled “Believe me, I would’ve liked nothing better than to go. Instead I had a week long bout of meeting with the Worldwide Medical Board to help discuss improving technology in hospitals in an affordable but necessary way!”

Thor interjected, taking what was already blooming into an argument and making it worse. “If my people were in danger, I should’ve been informed!” Thor boomed “My brother may be prince but I am king! My people’s safety is my greatest concern and top priority!”

Steve stepped in before the conversation could escalate any further “Alright guys, that’s enough! Arguing isn’t going to do anything at this point, the most we can do is go inside and contact them to see what’s going on now”

Tony stepped forward, “Rogers’ is right. Why don’t we all take a couple minutes, drop our bags off, grab a snack, and those concerned can meet in the common room so we can deal with this like civilized beings.”

The group slowly dispersed, some heading back to their rooms, a few heading right for the common room. Wanda dispersed her magic spy and settled into a light doze, waiting for the other to arrive in the common room. She heard Peter first, warning the other to be quiet because she might have fallen asleep. He wasn’t too far off. Wanda heard a soft sigh as Vision walked into the room and felt delicate fingers comb through her hair. Wanda melted into him, feeling a warmth in her chest that had been missing for a long while. Wanda let out a tired giggle under her breath as she was scooped into Vision’s arms and adjusted so he could sit in the chair. 

Wanda was pretty sure she heard a warm chuckle from Steve and a mocking scoff from Tony, who pretended to gag at the display. Wanda heard Shuri and T’Challa enter the room a moment later, followed by who could only be Thor judging by the overwhelming presence that filled the room. Wanda carefully stretched and slowly opened her eyes.

She was greeted by tired smiles from most members of the group, a nod from T’Challa, and a sharp glare from Shuri. Wanda’s stomach flipped unpleasantly and her face dropped into a harsh gaze that did not go unnoticed. Steve’s eyebrows climbed up his face and Tony looked a little more than concerned. Vision brushed a hand down Wanda’s arm, eyes watching her carefully. Shuri dropped into a chair and T’Challa glanced between his sister and Wanda. 

Tony glanced around the room as he pulled up the secure server the Avengers shared with Wakanda “Are we all good here? Or do we need to take a minute” he chirped nervously.

Shuri shrugged, “I think we’re fine here, and Wanda will just agree with anything said so…”

Wanda shot straight out of her seat, bright glare focused on Shuri. Every person in the room stiffened considerably. Peter let out a whine and laughed nervously “Ha, yeah. We’ve been cooped up with only each other for company for far too long” 

A flash of amber from the corner of the room distracted from the looming cold war between Wand and Shuri. Dr. Strange’s face melted into a welcoming half-smile as he stepped into the room “Avengers, it’s good to see you back where you belong”

Tony scoffed, “You come all the way out here to welcome us back Strange? That’s a bit much, especially for you.”

Strange shook his head, eyes flicking onto Wanda, “No, if you don’t mind, I’d like to borrow Wanda for a moment, I have something I’d like to discuss with her.”

Wanda sighed and slid off Vision’s lap. Her legs wobbled slightly and she felt her head throb as she grounded herself. Strange could tell she was doing worse and moved the portal to envelop her so she wouldn’t have to walk any further. They ended up in Stephen’s main office and Wanda breathed in the scent of old books, silently appreciating it until Stephen’s frantic tone distracted her.

“I found them!” Stephen barked, rushing into her line of sight with fear in his eyes.

Wanda blanched, “What?! Where are they?”

Stephen sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “Quite possibly the last place in the universe they should be”

Wanda grabbed her head as she fumbled for the chair next to her and fell into it. Wanda groaned, trying to ignore the tightness in her chest “Where?”

Stephen crouched beside her chair, “They are in a place beyond time, beyond space. To most, it doesn’t even exist.”

Wanda stared at him, “What the hell does that mean?!”

Stephen sighed, “They’re seriously fucked.”

\--------------------------------------------

Vision looked more than slightly concerned as Wanda and Strange disappeared through the portal, but remained silent as Shuri stepped forward. The Princess sighed “You all have missed quite a good deal since your departure.”

Tony crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe leading to the kitchen “I knew we'd miss some stuff, we've been gone over a month and a half, but this? This is insane.”

“Trust me Mr. Stark” Peter shifted in his seat “If it was our choice, we would've kept you guys updated. But it wasn't.”

“Who decided not to tell us?” Thor barked angrily “I'd like a word with them.” 

“It was a few people. Okoye and my mother, the SHIELD board, including Fury, even Ms. Potts Had a hand in this” Shuri explained, watching carefully as all eyes in the room widened “The Accords took precedence over everything, we were told to keep any information from you that might cause any of you to leave Vienna.”

“Tell me about the Border War” T’Challa growled, his anger evident in the way he held himself.

“You remember when you left, there was a large amount tension between Wakanda and some of the border nations and tribes over the presence of the Asgardians” T’Challa nodded and Shuri continued “About two weeks after you left the conflict came to a breaking point. Several tribes banded together and attempted an attack on the Asgardian refugees.”

Thor stiffened angrily and the room suddenly felt a little more electric than before. Shuri swallowed and continued. The longer Shuri continued her explanation, the angrier her brother looked. The other Avengers in the room could even see it, Peter shying away from the King of Wakanda as the story continued. 

“No harm came to the refugees, but our people have been divided over this matter, and Wakanda is being forced to wage a war against its own citizens, brother” Shuri sighed, eyes focused solely on her brother. 

T’Challa opened his mouth to respond, a furious glare twisting his features. He was cut off as another portal opened in the room and Wanda stepped back out, followed closely by Stephen. The looks of concern of their faces was enough to cause a panicked stop in the previous conversation. 

Wanda’s gaze flicked around the room, “We have a problem.”

\-------------------------------

“Fuck!” Bucky spat, shoving his finger in his mouth. 

Carol sighed and raised an eyebrow, “You're a super soldier aren't you? How did you cut yourself with a knife?”

“Shut it” Bucky grumbled “I don't usually deal with deadly sharp bloodstone blades Carol”

Carol smiled smugly and shook her head as she took the knife from him “While I will admit they’re far more deadly than you’d think, I expected better” she said teasingly.

Bucky wanted to punch something, not out of anger, but out of heartache. Carol reminded him of Steve; the way she walked, with pride and humility all at once, the slight tease but constant steadiness of her voice. It was in the way she was so easy to listen to, and to follow anywhere. Even Loki seemed to respect her enough to listen, and he was having issues clashing with every other person in their group, including Bucky. 

Speak of the devil. Loki waltzed into the room, twirling a long staff in one hand with a sharp grin. Carol and Bucky both looked to him and his eyes steeled. “Let’s go” Loki hissed.

Bucky grabbed his blaster and slipped the holster on so it hung on his back. Bucky grabbed his axe from the table and Loki eyed him with amusement as he spun it in his hand. “Very fitting” Loki murmured as Bucky fell into stride beside him “You really look like a lumberjack now.”

Bucky grumbled underneath his breath, managing to push down a smirk “You’re just intimidated cause you and your stick aren’t as scary.”

Loki’s face twisted into a pout, “I don’t need to be scary! I do perfectly fine with the intimidation factor! And my staff is extremely powerful, so you should be more afraid.”

Bucky opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Gamora as she appeared from an adjoining hallway. “Would you two stop fucking flirting with each other?! We have an escape to pull off.” she snapped.

Both men turned crimson and Carol laughed quietly as she lead the group through the hall. After a moment she sombered “Alright, Loki, you took care of Mordo?”

Loki snickered, “He won't be a problem.” 

“Good” Carol slipped on her gloves “How’d things go on your end Gamora?”

The assassin unsheathed a knife as they moved into the main hall “The security system in the hangar is down for another five minutes, we have until then to get the ship out. Eira is ready to cause the distraction as soon as we give her the go ahead.” 

Carol nodded and raised her hand. They all slowed to a creep, drawing their respective weapons. There were no servants in the hall, so Carol turned to Loki and nodded. Loki blinked slowly, acknowledging it with a slight nod. Loki pressed a fingertip to his temple and his eyes flashed a brilliant green. The group waited in silence for a long moment. 

They didn’t need super-hearing to detect the massive explosion when it went off in the far wing of the castle. The walls began to shake and shudder around them. Bucky flinched as dust sprinkled down on them. Loki’s eyes focused back on the present moment and he tensed, ready to spring. 

“That's our cue!’ Carol barked, taking off down the hall. Gamora, Loki, and Bucky raced after her on foot. 

The crushing force of an Eternal hit them, Gamora and Bucky stumbled slightly. Carol glanced behind them “Dammit, I thought we’d have more time before they realized what we were doing!”

“They’re the smartest beings in existence!” Loki barked “Always expect the worst from them.” He whipped his staff, the green orb at the end glowing with a pulsating light. Loki slid to a stop and flipped to face behind them as they passed through the doorway. Gamora, Bucky, and Carol raced past him, continuing towards the ship parked in front of the castle. 

Bucky glanced over his shoulder and saw Loki cast a massive shielding spell. Loki slammed his staff into the ground, a grimace on his face, and raced after them. Bucky stopped at the bottom of the ship’s ramp “What about your staff?!”  
Loki shook his head “I have to leave it, otherwise the spell won’t hold against them!” 

The pair raced into the ship. There was a flash of blue light at the base of the ramp and Eira dragged herself into the ship as the ramp was closing. The ship rose steadily into the sky as Bucky and Loki made their way into the cockpit, Eira trailing behind them. 

Gamora rose from her chair and Loki slipped into it, joining Carol at the controls. Loki glanced over his shoulder, “Bucky, take the gunning controls! Gamora, Eira, buckle in!”

Gamora and Eira raced over to the seats and fastened themselves in. Bucky raced over to the port to the lower gun station and threw it open. He skipped the ladder and jumped straight down. Bucky threw himself into the seat, not bothering to fasten his own seatbelt as he grabbed the controls. It took him only a moment to realize that the guns were not too different than a mounted machine gun, he didn’t stop to wonder if that was done on purpose. 

Bucky watched as the barrier on the front door to the castle’s exploded with a flash of reddish light. Bucky felt a chill of terror as Kronos charged through the doors, followed closely by several of the other Eternals. Kronos fixed a hateful gaze on the ship and roared in anger, pointing at the ship. 

The tall purple eternal, Makkari stepped forward, raising her golden staff. Bucky flipped the guns into firing mode and aimed them on the Eternal. He didn’t react fast enough. Just as he fired the gun, he heard a large portal open up in front of their ship, Makkari sent a massive wave of purple energy roaring after them. Kronos roared and waved his hand. 

Bucky jumped out of his seat just in time to miss being incinerated by that blast of power as it ripped through the gunning station. Bucky threw himself back up the ladder and clambered back into the cockpit. Alarms were blaring throughout the ship and Bucky struggled to keep his cool as the red warning light illuminated the cockpit further. 

“Are you alright? Carol yelled, frantically struggling with the controls. 

Bucky rushed over to her and she slid out of the seat. “I’m fine! But we don’t have a way to defend ourselves”

“On it!” Carol raced over to the exit door and flicked the door open. She jumped of the door and the air was sucked out of the cockpit, momentarily causing everyone who needed air to breathe to freeze in their spots as everything was dropped away from them. 

Loki tapped the back of his seat and Gamora raced over as he ducked away from the controls. “Take the lead Bucky! I’m going to try and aid Danvers!” he marched to the back door “Open the airlock once I’m inside, I’ll anchor myself in!”

Gamora flipped the switch and the doors to the back airlock chamber opened. Loki stepped inside and watched nervously as the bay door opened. Bucky focused on the space ahead of them. He could tell by the shifting in the bridge that they were almost all the way through, almost to Jotunheim.

“Hey Loki! What are you doing?! You gonna open up the final portal?!” Bucky hollered over his shoulder as the ship rocked dangerously.

“One moment! I have a plan!” Loki screeched and Bucky winced as he heard Loki let out a powerful blast of some sort. There was a broken wailing from something outside the ship that was definitely not human and Loki yelped.

“Carol! Get to the ship!” Loki shouted and Bucky heard a large thump as Carol grabbed onto the outside of the ship. 

Bucky felt the familiar sucking of atmosphere and weight and existence as Loki powered up his stone. Bucky squeezed his eyes shut, hands tight on the controls. There was a ripple as their ship passed through the portal. They almost made it.

It happened in the split second that it took Bucky to blink. They were moving through the portal, all accounted for and ready to go. And then the ship was hit by a massive blast that ripped through the entire lower section of the ship. Bucky barely had time to see a huge section of the floor be ripped out from the corner of his eye. 

Time slowed to a crawl, Bucky could feel it like thick tar around him as he was thrown through from his chair. The spaceship was exploding around them, and Bucky could see Gamora out of the corner of his eye, paused in the middle of throwing herself through the windshield of the ship. Bucky could faintly see a blue and red blur just on the other side of the glass waiting to catch her; Carol, Captain Marvel, that was good. At least those two would survive. 

He could see Eira as well, part way fallen from the hole that had been ripped in the floor of the ship. But she didn’t look afraid to be falling to her death, she looked thrilled, a bright grin stretched across her face as she toppled towards the icy cliffs below. That look was oddly familiar. 

Bucky barely had time to process this thought before a body slammed into his and time roared back to it’s usual pace. The cold bite of the air ripping at them as they fell. The inhale of time right before impact. The collision with the frigid ice and an earth-shattering boom that faded the world into black. 

\---------------------------------------

“Tell me something, Wanda, why the hell would you let Loki and Bucky leave when you knew for a fact they were lying!” Shuri snarled, a bright ferocity in her eyes. 

Wanda felt a bubbling in her chest and struggled to keep her cool as all eyes turned on her. Wanda shrugged off Vision’s hand and stepped closer “Oh do tell, do you really think that I could stop them?”

Shuri stepped into her space, “I think you’re the only one that could if you tried!”

Wanda felt magic roar off of her in a wave and felt her control slipping “You think I can stop Loki?! Never in a thousand years! They weren’t filled with rebellious fear when they left! They were filled with fear! And terror! They knew something else was coming!”

Wanda felt a burning sensation in her palms “There is something else out there! Something bigger! Something more than even Thanos! They knew that they had to go! That they were the only ones who could stop it!”

“Why?!” Shuri shrieked

“Because they have INFINITY STONES!”

The room went deathly silent; Wanda was too busy grappling with her power to see the looks on the faces of her teammates.

“So” Wanda snarled, “We can either stand here and continue to argue, or, we can get our act together and try to save their asses.”

The room fell deathly silent for a long moment. Steve opened his mouth “WHAT THE-” 

\------------------------------

Pain. Once again, it was the first thing Bucky felt when he awoke. He pressed his eyes closed, feeling the bite of ice all around him. He hated the cold. But the spot underneath his face and chest was slightly warmer than the rest of the ground. Bucky groaned and carefully stretched his limbs, making sure he hadn’t lost any others. 

The body underneath Bucky shifted and winced. Bucky felt a cool hand check the pulse on his neck and the soldier huffed, “Yeah, I survived” he growled.

Loki sighed heavily and dropped his hand back onto the ice beside him. Bucky blinked and carefully shifted onto his side. He felt Loki’s hand on his back “Careful, the ice is splintered around us, don’t impale yourself.”

Bucky braced himself on his elbow and pushed his torso off of Loki. Bucky winced when several shards of ice crumbled under the force of his metal hand as he placed it beside his hip and looked around. They seemed to have landed on the top of the glacier Bucky had seen from the ship. Bucky could hear the ice cracking and groaning beneath them, and the gentle rocking of the water beneath it. 

Loki sat up beside Bucky, eyes scanning the sky and surroundings, “I don’t see any sign of the ship, or the other for that matter.”

Bucky nodded “I know Carol grabbed Gamora, but where they went-” he shook his head “Who knows.”

“What about Eira?” Loki asked, his eyes backlit as magic pooled in them.

Bucky sighed and shook his head “She fell from the ship as we were crashing, do you really think she made it?”  
Loki turned a careful eye on Bucky, one eyebrow raised “If I’d been the one to fall, would you believe me alive?”

Bucky glared at him, a spark of anger igniting in his chest “Obviously, you just fucking did”

Loki shrugged and carefully picked himself off the ice, testing the ice beneath his feet before he stepped “Then you see my point.”

Bucky stumbled to his feet far less carefully, “No, I really don’t. I get that you don’t like people very much, and that you feel out of place next to your own people, but what is it about this Jotunn that’s making you act so weird?!”

Loki turned a sharp eye on Bucky, but caution could be seen underneath “I don’t know exactly… But I have a feeling about her, there’s something else she’s not telling me”

Bucky stepped towards him, hot anger writhing in his chest as the cold began to seep into him “Telling you? Since when did this become a “you” thing? Aren’t we all kinda trapped on this planet now?” Bucky ignored the cracking sound from beneath his feet as he stepped closer to Loki, breath pouring from his mouth like smoke “We had a plan, didn’t we?! We almost made it! We would’ve made here unharmed had you just followed along!”

Loki whirled on him, his own breath cool enough to avoid steam as he snapped “I was trying to help! Had you all done exactly what you said you would-!”

“That’s not how people work Loki! You know that!” Bucky threw out his arms “People adapt to the moment! We tried to adapt to work with you! That’s what teams do! They work with each other!”

“That’s what I was trying to do!” Loki roared.

The glacier rumbled beneath them and both men froze. Time crawled by as they stared at the ice below their feet. There was a loud cracking noise and the pair was jostled as the glacier began to split apart right along the path where they’d crash landed. Loki met Bucky’s terrified gaze and they stared each other down for another moment. 

The ice began to shift underneath their feet, a loud roaring filling the air around them as the ground slanted towards Loki. The God of Mischief bolted towards Bucky “This way!” he screamed. 

Bucky took off running after him, towards the edge of the what was now becoming an iceberg. The pair didn’t dare look back at what was causing the loud rumbling as they catapulted themselves across the ice. Bucky saw that edge and felt his world shift again. Bucky stumbled to a stop a few yards from the edge, looking down at the pitch black water with a feeling of numbness and terror in his chest. Loki skid to a stop as well, looking at Bucky with intense fear.

“What are you doing!” Loki yelled frantically looking back past Bucky to the cracks in the ice that were racing after them with a fury. 

Bucky looked up at Loki with lead in his heart and a blank face. Loki raced back and grabbed Bucky by the hand. His eyes flashed with color “It’s going to be warm! Trust me!”

Bucky believed him. They bolted to the edge and hurled themselves towards the black slate of water below. 

\---------------------------

Back on Earth, the entire compound was in an uproar. Wanda regretted every decision she’d made in the past few months. Peter was shoved in a corner, fear running rampant through him. Shuri was only one of many voices screaming in outrage.

\---------------------------

Bucky broke the surface with a gasp, his lungs burning as he flounder to stay above water. The water was unlike anything on Earth. It was thinner, there was less oxygen in it, and staying afloat was a dozen times harder, especially with a metal arm weighing Bucky down. Bucky felt his feet hit a somewhat solid surface and he scrambled to find his footing.

Bucky’s eyes and throat were burning as he stumbled up the gravel beneath his feet towards the bank of the water. The storm had suddenly gotten much worse and visibility was down to barely three yards. The water was frigid as it tugged at Bucky’s clothing and hair, but he had a feeling if he got out of the water he might end up even more frozen. 

Bucky paused when the water was resting at his shoulders and looked around frantically. Bucky heaved in relief as he saw Loki dragging himself onto the bank several yards to Bucky’s right. The God of Mischief looked back at Bucky, appearing more like a drowned cat than a god in the moment. The pair stared at each other for a long moment, heaving in air as the last bits of iceberg crumbled into the water behind them.

Bucky wrapped his arms around his waist, shivering in the freezing water. Loki rolled onto his side, landing partially in the snow behind him “What-” Loki gasped “-are you doing?! Get out of the water!”  
Bucky glared at him with a look colder than the water. Bucky pressed his lips into a thin line and sank further into the water. His cardiovascular system was beginning to slow down and Bucky felt himself going numb. But he refused to move from the water.

Bucky opened his mouth, fighting stiffened lips as he mumbled “ No, I’ll freeze.”

Loki dragged himself to is fee,t “You’re going to freeze to death if you stay in the water! At least come out here and I can try to light a fire for you or something.”

Bucky’s eyes narrowed, “Oh so now you care about the wellbeing of your teammates?!” he replied snidely. 

“Yes!” Loki practically screamed, throwing his hands in the air. The storm around them grew steadily more violent “I was trying to help back on the ship as well! The Space stone showed me a vision of what was to happen before it did! I was trying to help! I wanted to prove that I can be a good teammate! A good friend!... That I'm deserving of the kindness I've been shown by all of you!”

Bucky recoiled, shocked by Loki’s outburst. Loki whipped off his drenched cloak and threw it into the snow at his feet “I apologize for not informing anyone of my plan! The Stone only gave me a few moments to process the information before it happened!” Loki dragged a hand through his hair “Next time I’ll try to brief you all!”

Bucky stared at Loki, his vision beginning to blur. Loki suddenly froze and Bucky’s eyes were barely able to make out several giant shadows that were approaching Loki from all sides. Loki looked at Bucky with panic in his eyes, but it was lost as Bucky’s mind went fuzzy and he fell face-first into the water.  
\-----------------------------------------

Waking up the next time was a great contrast to waking up on the ice. Somewhat.

Bucky could faintly feel the chill of the ice beneath him, but it was muffled by the warmth of what Bucky recognized to be furs as his fingers drifted across them. Bucky ached down to his bones, a burning chill in his lungs as he took a deep breath. Bucky exhaled and sunk against the furs, trying to ignore the stinging sensation that was alighting in his fingertips and toes and even his nose and ears. The stinging soon rose to a burning and Bucky groaned, realizing what the feeling was.

Frostbite. He’d gotten it several times back in the war, never bad enough to lose appendages, but bad enough that even today he had issues moving a couple of his toes. It made sense, Bucky thought, as his mind drifted back through his recent memories and he recalled the planet he was on. Jotunheim, Planet of Ice, home of the Frost Giants. Loki’s birth planet. Where the hell was he?

Bucky shifted and opened his eyes. He was greeted by the blur of his fur blanket, but past that the bright and glassy surface of ice. Bucky carefully shifted and looked over his shoulder, into the rest of the room he was occupying. Bucky sighed in relief when he saw Loki huddled against the wall not far away from him, but the Trickster looked slightly worse for wear. 

Loki had one leg stretched out before him, a long cut across his thigh. The other leg was bent in front of him, his knee hidden by his arms and head as he pulled it close to him. Loki’s breathing was abnormally slow, but he didn’t look cold. There was a slight tinge of blue on Loki’s fingertips and ears, but Bucky had a feeling that was not from his body potentially freezing. Loki hadn’t told him very much about Frost Giants, but Bucky had a feeling that the cold didn’t affect them nearly as much, not if they lived on an ice planet, in houses made of ice. 

Bucky quietly shifted onto his back and carefully tapped the ice by Loki’s leg. The god started with a sharp gasp, eyes flying to Bucky. Loki sighed and relaxed slightly “Bucky, it’s good to see you awake.”

“How long have I been out?” Bucky growled, his voice rough and crackling.

Loki glanced to the round archway across from where he was sitting and out into the dim light, “A few hours if I had to guess, I don’t really know how time works here.”

Bucky sighed and rested his head against the pelt that was acting as his pillow, “Are you alright? What happened to your leg?”

Loki’s eyes barely glanced at the red gash, “It happened during the crash, my body is working to heal it, but my magic is otherwise occupied so I cannot aid it to make it faster.”

Bucky’s eyes narrowed, “What else are you using magic on?”

Loki’s tired eyes turned on him, “I used magic to make sure you didn’t freeze to death, as the Jotun aren’t really big on fire. And now I’m using it to maintain my Aesir form.”

“Your what?”

Loki shook his head, “My Aesir form, what I look like at the moment. I am a Jotunn, you remember that?”

“Yes” Bucky snapped tiredly “But I haven’t exactly seen a Jotunn before, I don’t know what they look like”

Loki paused for a moment, then shrugged “Fair enough, I suppose you wouldn’t. Let’s just say, I’ll look very different when in my Jotunn form.”

“So why don’t you just let it go and focus on healing right now?”

Loki’s fist clenched around the fabric of his tunic, “Because, they do not know who I am, that I am one of them, if I were to drop my disguise it is likely they would think I was trying to impersonate them, or trick them. I must wait for them to force me to drop my magics and reveal it then, otherwise they will not believe it.” 

Bucky didn’t reply for a long moment, when he did, he decided to switch subjects slightly “Have they found the others yet?”

Loki tilted his head, “Yes and no. Eira arrived not long after us, she is currently trying to explain that we are not the enemy. That is proving to be difficult for her as I was part of an attack on this planet only a few years ago, and some recognize me. But there has been no sign or word of Gamora or Captain Danvers yet.”

“Great” Bucky grumbled.

“I would not worry too greatly for them. Danvers is unlikely to be affected by the cold, as she burns with the power of a star, and Gamora has been physically enhanced so she cannot feel the cold, or hear for that matter” Loki sighed nonchalantly.

Bucky felt bile in his mouth, rising from a pit in his stomach, but pushed it down “So? I was supposed to be impervious to everything, including emotions. Now look at me, laid up with frostbite.” Breath puffed from his mouth as he spoke.

Loki quirked an eyebrow, “Frostbite?”

Bucky exhaled heavily and held up his flesh hand. The tips of his fingers were beginning to whiten, which was a very bad sign. “Happens when flesh freezes and the tissues underneath begin to freeze. There’s three visible stages, I’m just entering the second stage it looks like.”

Loki’s eyes widened nervously, “Can it be healed? What happens when you enter the third stage?”

“Yeah, most of the time it can be healed just by warming up the extremities, but often in the second stage you’ll end up with permanent muscle and tissue damage. After the third stage? At that point your only option is to cut off the damaged parts, they stop functioning”

Loki flew with panic, “How are you saying all that without a care? Allow me to help you.” Raven hair fell in Loki’s face as he shifted closer to Bucky, careful not to jostle his leg.

Bucky winced as Loki grabbed his hand, “Because, you need to keep your illusion up, don’t you? The serum should help any damaged tissues heal as long as I don’t hit the third stage.”

Loki glared at him, “Should? You’re not certain of that. It’d be better to deal with it now and prevent it from happening again rather than waiting for it to get worse. I can deal with being in my other form for a few minutes while I sort this out.” Loki shifted and glanced at Bucky “Although, it would help me if you closed your eyes.”

Bucky relaxed back and closed his eyes, listening as Loki whispered an incantation under his breath. Bucky heaved a sigh of relief as warmth washed over his body, his muscles relaxing and the burning in his fingertips and toes receding. Bucky felt a wave of contentment crash over him and he felt himself drifting back to a hazy unconsciousness. A lazy groan slipped out of his mouth and Bucky blinked slowly, eyes unable to really focus. As he drifted from unconsciousness Bucky looked up and saw three colors hovering above him. Black, blue, and smaller points of blood red. 

Then he was asleep.


	6. Frostbite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunheim... Oh boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this took me a long time to finish, longer than I thought it would. But it's finished!
> 
> Note: I took some liberties because I thought it was ridiculous how primitive the Jotunn culture and people are depicted in most cases yet still seen as a threat and enemy of extremely powerful civilizations like Asgard. So I decided to make them a more modernized and more powerful culture and society. I might go more into depth with the next chapter when it comes to the societal factors, but we'll have to see where the story goes next. Though I am hoping to have the next chapter out before the end of January, I won't make any promises. This thing will be finished before Endgame *shudder* comes out though, that I will promise. 
> 
> Nonetheless, I hope you all enjoy! Leave kudos and a comment if you feel like, or if you have any questions. I'll talk to you all next time!

Loki leaned back with a sigh. Bucky was asleep, that was good, it meant Loki no longer had to worry about him seeing him in his Jotunn form. Loki glanced down at his hands, at the frosty blue of his skin. He swallowed thickly and pressed a palm to the cut on his leg. There was a smaller flash of light and he felt the cut begin to close. Loki pressed his eyes shut and listened to the sickening noise his flesh made as it was healed. 

There was knock on the archway and Loki glanced up to see the form of Eira shadowed in the doorway. The young Jotunn slipped inside, eyeing Loki cautiously “Are you alright?”

“I’ll be fine”

She glanced at Bucky’s sleeping form, “Is he alright?”

Loki glanced down at the sleeping soldier, “He’ll live. I healed him, and cast a spell to keep him warm.”

Eira drifted closer, her white braids swinging round her head, and crouched by Bucky’s feet “I’ll request more fur, we’ll be able to whip together some clothing for him so he won’t freeze.”

Loki was silent for a moment, “Is there is any word of Carol and Gamora?”

“No, not yet” Eira shook her head, her hair shaking over her shoulder “I believe they crashed somewhere in the Northern Quarter, but this storm is worse than anything Jotunheim has seen in many years, the search efforts have gone unsuccessful.”

Loki noted the slight undertone of accusation in her voice, “You say that as if it’s my fault for the storm” he hissed.

Eira turned a sharp red eye on him, “It very well may be. There has not been a storm this great since the reign of Laufey ended, or even since long before that”

“And how would that be my fault?”

Eira stared him down icily, “The planet can sense when the blood of Laufey is on the planet. When Laufey alone was here, the weather was not nearly so bad, but you are his son, whether you choose to accept it or not, the planet itself knows that you have returned.”

Loki tilted his chin upward, “And what of the council, did you tell them? Do they know who I am?”

Eira sighed heavily, “I told them, yes. But they do not believe me, I don’t believe they want to. They’d rather think you died than became the enemy. And they’d rather not lose their power over the people.”

Loki rolled his crimson eyes, “Of course, I’m sure a renegade prince returning after a millenia would do just that” he sneered.

Eira glared at him, “What do you plan to do? Take over the planet? Rule as a dictator?”

Loki snarled, “As if. I have no want to rule this planet.”

“Do you expect me to believe that?” Eira snapped, her hand falling to her dagger sheath “You attempted to take over Terra with the Chitauri, you tricked everyone on Asgard into believing you were Odin and ruled for years. And now you are on the planet that is your by birthright, and you expect me to believe you don’t want to take over?”

“Yes” Loki’s voice snapped like a gunshot. Eira recoiled away from him, “I do not wish to rule, I had my fill on Asgard, I know I am not meant to be a ruler, not the kind your people need”

Eira’s gaze softened slightly, “They are your people too Loki.”

The god of Mischief shook his dark mane, “No, maybe by birth, but I was raised Asgardian. That people, its culture, that was mine. I know nothing of your people, I could never rule them, I would be an outsider, and no outsider can prevail as a ruler” Loki looked down wistfully.

“You say that as is if the Asgardians are not your people either?”

Loki paused for a moment, eyes drifting downward, “I do not know. I don’t think anything I am capable of would every truly be able to reintegrate me into their society. My brother accepts me, but he is the only one who does full-heartedly. Everyone else doubts me, for good reason I suppose.” 

Eira tilted her head, “Then what do you plan to do? Spend the rest of your life as a loner? Wandering the universe without a people or place to belong to?”

Loki didn’t reply, he stared at the back of his hand as he brushed his fingertips across his knuckles, watching the Space Stone glow. Eira rose to her feet “You cannot fit with a people you never knew, and you feel out of place among the only people you have known” She shook her head as she walked back to the doorway. Eira glanced over her shoulder, “It seems to me that your only option is to create a people of your own.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This storm was absolutely miserable and Carol really wished that she and Gamora hadn’t gotten separated from the others. Even with her super senses, Carol hadn’t been able to see where Loki and Bucky had landed, or Eira for that matter. She and Gamora had touched down and had been using some of the ship’s wreckage as shelter for however long they’d been there.

Time was strange for Carol. Sometimes it felt like a few hours passed in the blink of an eye, other times they felt like an eternity. Gamora had said they’d been there for a few hours a while back, but how long had it been since then? Carol glanced down at the assassin curled against her side in the shadow of the twisted remains of the ship. Gamora had told Carol not to worry about her, that she was physically altered to withstand extreme weather, but Carol was beginning to worry.

The blizzard they were trapped in was horrible, and the temperature was far beyond deadly for a mortal. If Carol had still been mortal, she would’ve been dead hours ago. Yet she wasn’t, the constant burning and thrumming in her chest was a reminder of that. Sometimes Carol wished that she really had died, she would never have had to live with the bursting of a star in her soul. But people needed her, so she stayed.

The time gave Carol time to think, but she’d already had far too much of it in her life, she didn’t need that extra time to ponder over her existence. But it did give her time to wonder how she and Gamora had ended up in this situation. They’d led such wildly different lives, only to be pulled together by what Carol could only assume were the threads of fate. She’d been cautioned to avoid believing in fate, but all that had happened, the way the universe, the Avengers, had fallen into place. The fact that they had all managed to exist in the time when they were needed most, that was a spectacular feat within itself. 

The metal above Carol’s head groaned and she looked up to see that the storm was managing to grow even worse. Carol felt the air squeezing from her lungs as the frigid air caused her muscles to begin to freeze. Carol grabbed Gamora’s arm and shook her slightly. The assassin blearily opened her eyes, shaking off the loose snow that had snuck in and landed on her as she slept. 

Gamora stretched painfully and looked out at the snow. Her voice crackled as she spoke, “It’s getting worse?”

Carol opened her mouth to reply but her words died in her throat as the storm suddenly died. The howling, the shaking of the metal, both came to a pause. Both women stared out of the gap that was the opening to their hidey-hole. Both women crept to arms as a dark shadow stepped close to the opening. Carol noted the beings’ figure and the softness with which it moved closer. 

Carol raised a fist, ready to attack, but took a guess “Loki?” 

There was a sharp laugh and Eira peeked her upper body around the corner “Excuse me? No.” Eira stepped into the doorway, bundled in furs and silver plate armor “I’m glad I found you two, even if you do insult me”

Carol and Gamora both sighed, relaxing from their attack stances. “Thank God” Carol grumbled, “I’m glad to see you’re alright.”

Eira smiled at them as they walked over to her through the thick snow, “As am I, we were worried about you two.”

Gamora perked up slightly, “Loki and Bucky?”

Eira nodded, “They’re currently resting in the capital city, under the careful guarding on the Jotun Guard. While my planet is an escape from the Eternals, you must remember that Loki is a sworn enemy of my people and we will not be treated with kindness.”

Gamora’s face stilled to an irritated look, “Isn’t he a sworn enemy of every single planet he’s visited at this point?”

Carol raised an eyebrow as Eira began fishing fur clothing from the pack on her back, “Aren’t you of Jotunn blood? Won’t they at least listen to you?”

Eira bobbed her head back and forth, “Yes and no. I am a Jotunn, I spent the first 500 years of my life here on Jotunheim, but I left nearly 200 years ago and never returned. While I am a member of society, it is unlikely they will trust me the way they used to, I have been gone for a very long time and did not suffer through the events of those past 200 years. Or even those of the past fifteen.” 

Eira tossed Gamora what looked like a large fur coat, “Here, wear this. We wouldn’t want you to freeze.”

Gamora sighed and reluctantly began shrugging the coat on. Eira smirked at Carol “I’d offer you one but…”

Carol shrugged, “It’s not really necessary for me, I know. But why do your people have fur clothing anyway? Aren’t Jotunn extremely well adapted to the cold?”

Eira closed her pack and swung it onto her back in one fluid motion, “We are, but children, elders, and expectant parents are often far more susceptible to the cold. And the blizzards that can occur here on Jotunheim make even this one look mild.”

The other two women stared at her in horror. Eira shrugged, “We have to survive somehow, even if it means trading away precious goods for fur coats to our greatest enemy.”

Gamora glanced down at her parka, “This is from Asgard?”

Eira nodded, “It is very old, and far from the usual style of Asgardians, but yes. Once upon a time Asgardian voyagers and ambassadors wore coats like these when visiting planets as cold as and even colder than Jotunheim.” 

Eira motioned for them to follow with a wave of her hand, “Come now, we don’t want you freezing any more than necessary and it is a good walk back to the nearest village.”

 

\-----------------------------

It took them roughly a two hour trek to get to the nearest village, and another hour after that to reach the capital (if Gamora’s watch-thing was keeping accurate time, which was unlikely with how cold it was. But they were met by huge Jotunn warriors at the edge of the first village who, while they were technically a military escort meant to intimidate them from trying to escape, helped created a nice windbreak from the storm as they were so much taller. 

As they reached the capital the group was met by a new escort of warriors and by a tall male Jotunn of royal blood, as was evident by the decor on his armor and the way he held himself. Eira stiffened the moment she saw him “Elder Corsin, you come to greet us?”

The Jotunn turned a dark eye on her, “Hardly, little cousin. I am here to escort the other to trial before the Council. The other council members do not wish to wait any longer to get this over with. They believe it will be a quick trial.”

Eira shifted nervously, “May we at least regroup with the other members of our party? I’d like to see the condition of B-...the human.”

Corsin huffed, “If you so wish, you will not be given time to rest though, do not get comfortable.” He turned on his heel and began walking down the “street”; it was more a path carved into the bottom of the icy canyon. 

Carol looked around as they made their way through the city. There were buildings, caves, carved into the icy cliffs around them. Carol could sense eyes on them the entire time, but saw no other Jotunn. She wondered if they’d all been ordered into their homes or at least to keep away from them. It wasn’t a terrible idea on the ruling council's part.

After a few minutes of walking they turned down a darker alley and Gamora pressed closer to Carol nervously. Eira motioned for them to follow as the guards stopped at the base of a large, icy staircase. The three continued up the stairs to the second floor and walked down to a carved door at the end. Eira paused just before the opening and rapped her knuckles on the icy wall beside the arched doorway. 

Carol sighed as an easily recognizable voice called back, “You can come in”

Eira ducked inside the doorway “I managed to find them, they were hidden in the wreckage of the ship.” Carol and Gamora followed her inside. 

Loki was sitting cross-legged near the far corner, his back pressed against the wall as he worked with a small piece of fur. He looked in less than ideal shape, but not as bad as Carol had expected seeing as he and Bucky had crash landed. Bucky was curled up in a pile of fur blankets beside Loki, his skin pale and washed out. 

“Is he alright?” Gamora asked, moving forward carefully. 

Loki nodded, pulling himself to his feet. Carol noted how slowly and ungracefully he was moving and wondered if it was due to the crash, or to something else. “He’ll be alright, I healed his injuries. But humans aren’t meant to be in such severe cold, I’m afraid if we don’t keep him warm he’ll freeze to death.”

Carol huffed a breath, watching the heavy steam pour from her mouth “I can take him.” All eyes turned on her “My body naturally lets off a lot of heat. If I carry him on my back it’ll make sure his internal temperature doesn’t drop.”

“That should help a good deal” Loki grabbed what he had been working before they arrived from its spot on the floor. He held them up to reveal a glove “I had just enough to to finish this. I would’ve liked to made him a face mask as well, but I didn’t have enough time, nor fur”

Gamora quirked an eyebrow, “Can’t you just summon them?”

Loki gave her a glare that clearly asked if she was an idiot “I used up most of my magic ability trying to heal us both, why I waste it summoning clothing when I know how to make it myself?”

“I thought you were so supremely powerful?” Gamora replied snidely “How’d you run out of magic?”

Loki deadpanned and shifted uncomfortably, “I was also trying to keep Barnes from suffering nightmares” he said lowly. “He doesn’t do well in the cold.”

Carol moved around him to crouch beside Bucky. She could see the deeply etched lines in Bucky’s forehead and around his eyes. Carol knew his story; Steve had told it to her at one point, however she was certain Steve didn’t even know all of it. Bucky cared too much about him to ever tell him the full story.

Carol hovered a hand over Bucky’s chest and channeled her fire to the spot. It only took a moment for Bucky to sense the heat and for his eyes to fly open. “Hey Barnes” Carol greeted him warmly, remembering what Steve had mentioned about how he had to be extremely careful when waking Bucky up.

Bucky sighed, coming to terms with his surroundings. “You guys okay?” he mumbled tiredly.

Carol nodded, “Yeah, Eira managed to find Gamora and I and escort us here. We’ve got to go to our trial now, you ready to get up?”

Bucky grimaced, “It’s so fucking cold though.”

Carol smirked and patted his shoulder, “We have a plan for that. Loki made you a glove to keep you from getting frostbite on your hand, and I’m going to carry you and keep you warm so you don’t freeze.”

Bucky grumbled, but quirked his eyes and stiffly pulled himself from underneath the pile of furs. Carol shifted and pulled Bucky onto her back. Carol winced, he was freezing to the touch. Carol internally warmed herself and chuckled as Bucky sighed, “God I love a competent woman, they always manage to save my ass.” 

Gamora smirked and rolled her eyes. Eira laughed brightly and Loki chuckled beneath his breath, “If that isn’t true.”

“That goes for you too Loki, if what I’ve heard of Sif, Brunnhilde, and what I know about Wanda saving our asses is all true.” Bucky grumbled, sending him a stormy glare. 

Loki huffed and tossed the glove at him. Bucky caught them and shoved it on his hand as Carol moved towards the doorway. The group migrated through the doorway and back down the staircase. The Jotunn were still waiting for them at the bottom, frigid glares on their faces. Loki visibly tensed, which was rare for him, and Carol wondered if he remembered any of them from his initial trip to Jotunheim years ago. 

It wasn’t that long of a walk to the main temple, but Carol noted that the buildings carved into the ice looked newer than the others. She recalled Eira telling her something about the Jotunn moving their cities into the ice after the Asgardian attack several years back. Carol figured that was the one with Thor, Loki, and their companions. If she remembered correctly, Jotunheim was only accessible by Bifrost or portal as the glacial storms in the upper atmosphere of the planet were so severe that no ships could make it through. 

The meeting hall was massive, a giant, cathedral-like structure carved into a long piece of icy cliff. The inside was a long dome which some light filtered into through carefully carved tunnels to the top of the cliff. The room was largely empty except for a long u-shaped platform on the far side of the hall, and a platform in the space between the two end of the U. This was a trial room alright.

The lordly Jotunn from earlier, Corsin, if she remembered correctly, motioned for the group the stop as he made his way to the far end of the room. Corsin stepped behind the panel and made his way around it. 

He paused at the spot just to the left of the center, “The Trial will now commence” he barked sharply.

Other Jotun slipped from the shadows and climbed their way to stand behind the platform as well. Carol felt a stir of nervousness and held Bucky closer to her. These were warriors, generals, you could tell by the decor of their armor, and the scars that littered their bodies, and the way Loki shrunk back like a wounded animal. Bucky shifted his grip and moved one hand to rest it on Loki’s shoulder.

A moment of silence passed as the eldest Jotun council member stepped into the center spot of the circle. Though she stood out like a sore thumb among the giant warriors beside her. It was a very obviously ancient female Jotunn. She stood a few feet shorter than the rest, her skin extremely dark and cracked, her eyes dark like blood as they stared out from behind the intricate braids woven around her head.

Eira inhaled sharply and stepped forward sharply. She rubbed the back of her hand and projected a silent message to the other members of the group, _“That is the Grand Priestess, the most ancient being on all of Jotunheim. I didn’t think she’d be here, but she is. You must treat her with the greatest respect, do not look directly at her unless addressed by her and do not speak in her presence unless asked to.”_

The Priestess motioned for Loki to step forward and the brunet took a deep breath before slowly stepping his way into the carved ice stand resting in the middle of the semi circle. Corsin motioned for the other council members to sit, while he alone remained standing. The Jotun brushed a lock of hair over his shoulder and cleared his throat “We will now begin the questioning” he announced. 

Corsin’s eyes turned on Loki and rested there coldly, “State your name and title.”

“Loki Odinson, Prince of Asgard.”

“What is your purpose of coming onto this planet?”

Loki’s eyes narrowed and he glanced back at the group behind him, “Our ship crash landed here, we were being pursued.”

Corsin’s eyes narrowed, “So you brought danger right to our gates. Who exactly was pursuing you and for what reason?”

Loki went tense, “I don’t see why that’s relevant.”

Corsin’s voice grew louder, angrier “And I don’t believe you have the right to decide what is and is not relevant to the trial as it pertains to the safety of this planet!”

Another Elder stood, “If there is a greater danger that could now threaten us we must know so we can defend the people!”

A third Elder shot to their feet, “Tell us, who did you lure to our borders!”

All at once, every member of the council burst in rapturous snapping and snarling, their anger directed at Loki. The Prince shrunk into himself and suddenly looked as young as Peter, like a child facing the anger of a parent. The clamour was deafening. 

Eira broke the conversation down with a booming voice that shocked everyone else in the room “Council Elders, need I remind you that you brought him here not to question him on the matters of concerning the incident from years ago, not on our reason for landing in Jotunheim now. If you wish to discuss that matter, you’ll have to call a separate trial, and run one for each of us. And I just don’t think you’re patient enough to make it through such a trial”

The council members seemed more than a little caught off guard, but surprisingly, none of them looked ready to challenge Eira’s statement. The head council member sighed and began, "As you wish. We begin with the charges."

"Loki, son of Odin, Prince of Asgard, eight years ago you came to our planet with a group of companions. Would you begin by telling us the story of what occured preceding this event and the reasoning for your "visit"?"

Loki cleared his throat, "Well, it began when three Jotunn were discovered in the vaults of Asgard attempting to take the Casket. Though they were defeated and the Casket was not taken from the Asgardians, Thor Odinson, my brother, felt great rage at what he deemed an action of betrayal and insubordination. He gathered together our band, which consisted of himself, myself, the Warriors Three, and the Lady Sif and against the orders of-" Loki swallowed thickly "-Odin, our father, we used the Bifrost to transport ourselves here to Jotunheim."

"And what were your intentions before and upon your arrival?" 

"Thor wished to "remind" your people of Asgards power." 

"And were you complicit in this course of action?" 

Loki shifted, "I was."

"And who was really responsible for allowing the first three Jotunn onto Asgard?" 

"I was" Loki murmured meekly.

"And who gave Thor the idea to attack Jotunheim?"

"It was I"

"And who, after having an agreement with the late King Laufey, betrayed our ruler and killed him?"

Loki stuttered for a moment, "I did" 

"So you are not responsible for only the deaths of the three Jotunn who died on Asgard, but for the more than dozen who were killed here on Jotunheim, and for the death of our king" the council member leaned forward in his seat, snarling viciously "So tell me know why you should not be executed for your crimes?!”

Bucky was terrified to see that for once in his life, Loki was left absolutely speechless, staring at the council with a faraway look in his eyes. Gamora stepped forward, eyes burning with a fiery passion “Before you finalize your views on this case, Great Council, I’d like to suggest that you ask a more specific question.”

All eyes turned on her. “Who are you to speak before this council?” a different Jotunn asked coldly.

Gamora tilted her shoulders, “I am Gamora Zen Whoberi Ben Titan, daughter of the Great Titan, Thanos. I can offer evidence as to why the life of Loki Odinson should be spared your anger.”

Loki looked impressed by her manner, as did Eira, and as did the Council. Corsin leaned forward, hands clasped before him, “Then step forward, daughter of Evil, and speak your case. I cannot guarantee that your word will be taken seriously, but we will listen.”

Bucky wanted to snap at them, but he understood the reasoning. Yes, Thanos’ name held great influence, but it was not good, it was the worst name possible to have to invoke, but with that terrible prowess came the influence that came from Thanos lording over the universe over thousands of years. 

Gamora stepped forward, standing just beside Loki. “I spent decades as a prisoner of Thanos, I witnessed first-hand just how he manipulated every force in the universe into doing his bidding, and furthering his end. About sixteen years ago Thanos realized that he was never going to be able to gather all the Infinity Stones as long as his greatest adversaries were still alive. Although I did not know who he meant at the time, I now know who he was referring to. There were three beings alive that stood in his way of the Infinity Stones”

Gamora glanced to Loki “The main opposition came in the form of the Asgardians, more specifically in Odin, Allfather. Thanos also knew that the Living Planet, Ego, and the Ancient One, Master of the Mystic Arts were threats, but not as great of one as Odin. Thanos knew he had to find a way to bring down the Asgardian empire, and when he heard tales of the… infamous… adventures of the Odinsons. So Thanos began to concoct a plan. He went after Thor first hoping to drive the elder son into following the same path that his sister hand walked down millenia ago, knowing that Odin would no longer be able to fight another being of such power and contain Hela at the same time. However, Thor proved to be too bullheaded for such persuasion.”

Loki shot her a glare, as if he’d argue the point. Gamora ignored him and continued “Then Thanos learned of Loki’s existence, and of his feelings of jealousy towards his brother, and he saw his chance once more. Thanos went to the leaders of the Chitauri and told them to begin planning for what would later become the Invasion of Terra, lead by Loki. It was Thanos who spoke to the mind of Loki through the Chitauri, who suggested that he try and remind his brother of his place. Thanos was the one who suggest Loki ally with Laufey, and use your forces. It was coincidence that Odin fell ill as he did, and swiftened Loki’s ascent to the throne of Asgard.”

“And why should we believe this statement?” A council member asked stiffly.

“Because I remember watching Thanos as he made the call to the Chitauri” Gamora’s eyes tightened “And if you question my word you have my permission to look through my memory and see it for yourselves.”

The Elders exchanged glances and a moment later Corsin shook his head with a sigh, “Very well, we shall take a recess and when we return we shall view the memories ourselves. Then we will make our ruling.”

He turned a cold eye to the guards, “Escort them back to the holding cell, they will wait there.” 

Loki was ushered back towards the rest of his group and was thankful to squeeze between Carol and Gamora as they all moved out of the icy cathedral.

In the end, the council had no way of disputing Gamora’s evidence. Her memory proved everything they needed to be unable to charge Loki with anything that could make him worthy of a death penalty. Which, while the other were glad for, Loki insisted he would’ve been fine no matter what. With that they were left under Eira’s care and watch. 

Bucky groaned and settled himself back in his pile of blankets. Carol patted his arm and rose to her feet, turning to talk to Eira as she did. “So, what now? Are we supposed to stay here the entire time?”

Eira shook her main, “No, I’m working on arranging more comfortable apartments for us to stay in while we’re here. But we’ll see how cooperative my cousin is.”

Loki piped up from where he was leaning against the wall, “Is he really your cousin?”

Eira turned a knowing look on him “Second cousin, but yes. He is one of the few remaining of royal blood. Though he is not closely related to the crown to actually rule”

Gamora sat against the wall a few feet away from them, her eyebrow quirking in the slightest “I didn’t realize you were related to the royals?”

Eira hesitated for a moment “I am yes, but am not considered part of the royal family anymore, not since I left the plan a few hundred years back.”

Gamora nodded slowly “I see” 

“That being said, I still belong here, this is my home and people.” She turned a soft look on Loki “As they are yours. If you’d allow me, I’d like to introduce you to your people, your legacy.”

Loki glanced down at Bucky, then to Carol, who nodded. Loki met Eira’s gaze “Very well, it’s not as though I have much else to do.” 

“I’ll stay here with Gamora and Barnes” Carol offered “I’ll do my best to keep Barnes from getting too cold.” 

Bucky huffed from his spot under the blankets, “I’d be fine.”  
Loki looked down at him, “No you would not, let yourself be taken care of.”

Bucky opened one eye and glared at him, “Fine, but you need to watch yourself. And try not to offend anyone while you’re out and about.”

Loki scoffed and rolled his eyes, “Like I’d ever.”

The four other people in the room all deadpanned and stared him down until he coughed awkwardly. “Alright, I’ll try my best” Loki drawled.

Bucky rolled his eyes before disappearing back into his bundle of furs. Carol sat down near him and pressed a hand on the ice near him. Bucky sighed as the glowing warmth reached him. Gamora silently pulled out a knife and began playing with it. Eira chuckled and drifted towards the door, motioning for Loki to follow.

Loki glanced around the room a final time before following the Jotunn out into the cold. It was all cold, granted, but the storm was beginning to reach the capitol and though the city was tucked into the glacier, some winds still chilled the air. Loki puffed a breath of air and tugged his jacket tighter around him as they descended the stairs. 

Eira glanced at him, “You know, it will help you both blend in and be more comfortable if you allow your Aesir form to drop.”

Loki gave her side-eye, “Maybe it might help me be more comfortable, but as your mere presence proves I will still be unable to blend in. I’m far too short” he spat.

Eira exhaled heavily, “Are you seriously going to try and tell me that with all the magic you possess you don’t have the ability to change your size?”

Loki glared at her for a long moment, then relented with a sigh of his own “Alright fine, give me a moment.”

He closed his eyes, focusing on something deep inside him. Eira watched patiently as he skin began to frost over, turning a light blue, but one not quite as light as her own skin tone. It took only a moment longer for him to stretch his form to what would be his natural size as a Jotunn. He was a good deal taller, falling almost two feet taller than Eira’s natural size of nine feet. Loki opened his blood red eyes and looked down at her.  
Eira resisted the urge to punch him as he looked at her smugly. “Shall we?” Loki smirked.

Eira gave him a thinned-lipped smile “We shall. Where to first, the markets or the library?”

\----------------------------------------------------------

Honestly, Loki was far more impressed by Jotunheim than he had presumed he would be. Maybe it was due to the fact that the Asgardians had so long looked down on the Jotunn as nothing more than barbarians, but Loki had always assumed than Jotunheim would be nothing but a tribal nation. He was severely wrong, and was proven so by Eira in her tour of the capitol.

The markets were charming, though still fairly busy despite the massive snowstorm plaguing the area. Loki wished he had and sort of currency on him went he found a stall that exclusively sold items originating on Asgard. Partially for his own sake, but also because he knew his brother would be thrilled to see a reminder of their home and childhood. Eira offered to buy a trinket for him, but he refused. 

The library though… Loki nearly broke down there, not into tears, but from purpose. It was grander than the one on Asgard, and though he took a while to read the books and scrolls written in ancient language of the Jotunn, there were thousands upon thousands of stories and manuscripts Loki’d never read. Eira ended up dragging him from the library after a few hours, a small bag of books in hand. 

Loki was really enjoying himself, up until they began to wander the streets and Eira’s talk turned back on Loki. 

“So” Eira began, slowing her pace slightly, “When did you find out about your lineage?”

Loki glanced down at her, red eyes peering through his curtain of dark hair “I first realized that I was not Asgardian when I came into contact with the Casket of Ancient Winters, which melted away my Aesir form. I confronted Odin and he told me the truth” 

Loki paused, “Or rather, his version of it. That is when I learned that I was the sole Laufeyson heir.”

Eira eyed him warily, “I see… So then, you knew Laufey was your father when you killed him.” 

Loki sighed, “I did. But I had no allegiance to him, he was a name and face to me, not a father. And I was rather twisted and confused at the time, it might not have mattered either way”

Eira was silent for a long moment, “And what of your mother? Have you ever wondered who she was?” 

Loki nodded slowly, “I have, yes. But I try to avoid the thought usually, the idea that I may learn of her never seemed plausible until now.”

Eira glanced down at the snow beneath their feet, “I cannot introduce you to her, but I can take you to see her, if you'd like.”

Loki met her gaze, understanding the inflection instantly “I understand. I suppose that I might, just to know a little more about myself.”

It was only a few minute walk to the outer limits of the city, and to the exit of the canyon. Eira lead Loki out of the canyon and into a small protected enclave worn into one side of the glacier. Large obelisks carved of ice and strung with shards of crystal littered the ground within the enclave. It was a burial ground, the royal one if Loki had to guess. 

Some obelisks sported different colored crystals, and Loki felt the need to ask what for. Eira’s mouth twisted into a cynical smile “Those are the burials of the rulers who have died in battle, the ones that have the darker colored crystals”

She motioned towards an obelisk off to their left, the crystals adorning which were a faint pink “Those are burials of queens who have died in childbirth”

Eira’s eyes trailed to the largest obelisk in the grounds, one decorated with deep blue and red crystals. Loki took a deep breath “That is the burial memorial of King Laufey. As we were unable to retrieve his body, it remains empty” 

Loki felt a pang of remorse, “My apologies, had it not been such a time or turmoil, Odin may have returned the body to your people.”

Our people” Eira corrected. Loki didn’t have it in him to argue against the statement.

Eira lead him past the first rows of obelisks stand before Laufey’s. Loki looked up and read the inscription in the ice. It was written in the same language as the books from the library, but Loki no longer had the want to read it. Eira moved past Laufey’s memorial to a smaller one off to the left of Laufey’s.

Loki slowly approached, his heart filling his throat. The obelisk was decorated with strings of crystals, and strings of small beads that looked almost like pearls. Eira brushed her fingertips across a string “She was a beloved queen, one of the people. She has been mourned ever since…”

Loki struggled to keep his chest from collapsing. He rubbed the spot over his heart as the thing ached in his ribcage, “What was her name?” 

Eira took a long time to respond, “Farbauti.” 

"Farbauti..." the word felt like melting ice on Loki's tongue. It was sharp and brittle, about to break, but cool and smooth and soothing as well.

"Farbauti" Loki repeated, suddenly feeling small and lost. The feeling of the world closing around him forced him to grip his shoulder tightly. 

Eira brushed her fingertips across the carving of Farbauti name, "Laufey may have had his share of concubines, but Farbauti was his wife, his partner. He loved her above all else, and he was destroyed when he lost her." 

Loki knelt beside the marker, his fingertips brushing across the ice. He closed his eyes and rested his his forehead against the surface, desperately trying to conjure some memory, some idea of who she was. All he got, a fading memory of milky violet eyes. 

Loki felt dazed as he looked to Eira, who was now perched on the ice beside him"I'm confused, I can only conjure a memory of her eyes but... They are not the eyes of a Jotunn" 

Eira sighed and stared at him, hard. "That is because Farbauti is not a Jotunn".

Loki felt a chill run down his spine, "What?"

Eira pressed her hand flat against the rune beneath it, "Your mother is not a Jotunn, and she is not dead. This grave is a cover-up."

Loki stared at Eira in disbelief. "You're lying" he snarled fearfully.

Eira fixed a sharp glare on Loki, "I am not, you would be able to tell if I was, God of Lies. Your mother is alive."

"How do you know?!" Loki snapped, shooting to his feet, "You aren't old enough to have met her." 

Eira rose to her feet, "Yes, I am! And I have! I am the last person on this planet to know who she is. And that she still lives!"

Loki snarled and stormed back towards their mounts, "I refuse to believe your lies!"

There was a moment of desperate silence from Eira, filled only with angry huffs. Then she yelled again, "I too am a child of Laufey!"

Loki froze in his tracks, the harsh snow whipping around him. Eira continued, "And the reason I know Farbauti is alive?!" she yelled "Because I too, am her child! And like you, I just saw her as recently as a few weeks ago." 

Loki slowly turned on her, eyes glowing dangerously beneath his hair as it whipped in the vicious wind. His mind flicked back to the dark hall of Eternals, and to the one Eternal who had remained silent. Loki struggled to breath "Do you expect me to believe that?" He hissed venomously. 

Eira stepped closer, her cloak tight around her. "I know that nothing I say can convince you, you are too cynical, have been betrayed too many times. But if you'll allow me, I can prove it to you." 

Loki scoffed, “I seriously doubt it, Odin told me all I need know about my birth. He told me how I was abandoned, left for dead, how he rescued me.” 

Eira looked like she wanted murder, “Odin was a liar!” She yelled furiously “You weren't abandoned! You were stolen!” 

Loki stuttered for a moment, “As if! Even Odin wouldn't go so far as to steal the heir to another kingdom!”

Eira growled in the back of her throat, “You really believe that?! You're still brainwashed and tucked under his thumb” she spat violently. 

Loki snarled and turned on his heel as he stalked away from her, "I refuse to listen to this lunacy!"

Eira threw down the book bag, "Why?! You said yourself that you recognize how terrible a man Odin was! How can you refuse to listen to the truth about him?!"

Loki whirled on her "I don't give a damn about the truth concerning Odin! I don't want to feel any more pity for myself and my wretched story than I already do!" He roared.

"But it's your truth!" Eira shrieked "And the truth is that Odin broke a sacred vow and invaded a place long declared untouchable in war and stole you!" 

Loki let out an ear-splitting scream, "ENOUGH!" 

Eira stepped back and watched magical power pour off Loki in thick waves. Loki turned away from her, slender fingers tearing at his hair. 

Eira shook her head and spoke softly "Our mother, our father, they both cared for you deeply. They wished more than anything to bring you home, but Laufey could not risk a war with Odin, not while the people were so weak and hopeless. You are the Lost Prince, the people mourn your disappearance even now. But they don't know who you are, and they never will unless you tell them"

Loki glared through his mane of curls at her, but his anger was diminished, "Even if what you say is true, why should I trust you? It would be far easier to believe you only wish to have my head so I am no longer a threat to your throne." 

Eira sighed and rolled her eyes, “What throne? Jotunheim still has a way to go when it comes to societal standards. I cannot take the throne as I am female, unless I marry a male Jotunn, which isn't happening.”

Loki gave her a look of disgust, “Well, that's unfortunate.” 

Eira stepped closer to him and took his hands in her own, “Please, I understand you may not have reason to trust me, but I can answer questions I'm sure have been plaguing you for years. Allow me to help you, to teach you who you are.”

Loki glanced down at their hands, the matching long and slender blue fingers that held his own. He looked up at Eira with wide eyes “Tell me everything”

\---------------------------------

They talked all the way back through the city. Eira speaking in a tongue Loki knew, of things he almost knew nothing of. It was beautiful, and heartbreaking. Obviously, the universe hated Loki. He’d get one moment of a semblance of peace and happiness, and then everything would go to shit.

Upon reaching their original holding they were told that the rest of their… team… had been moved to an apartment in the palace for the time being. Eira had smiled smugly, as if she’d known Corsin would give in. 

They walked into the chambers they’d been allowed. Bucky was sprawled on a couch-like structure, his gaze buried in a book. Gamora was perched in a nearby chair, balancing her small knife on the tip of her finger. She watched it with tired eyes and Loki recognized it as the blade Thanos had given her so many years in the past. 

Carol was just walking in through a different door and her gaze fell on them with a smile, “Glad you two made it ba-” 

A portal swirled into existence on the wall across from where Carol had entered. Every being in the room froze, jumping into attack positions. All except Loki, he recognized that magic, he knew who it was. Loki watched as the figure stepped through the portal. 

Dark hair, light eyes, scowl to rival Bucky’s, blue robes, and that god awful living cloak draped over his shoulders. “Son of Odin, what have you done this time?”


	7. The Calm Before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oooohhh boy, this one's a doozy. Lots of stuff happens. There are quite a few jumps in perspective. But the worst is coming next ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I know, this is probably getting really OOC but I like the way the story's turning out so... yeah. Anyways, happy Valentines to all who celebrate and I hope you all enjoy this chapter! It will be a while before the next chapter is out, but I still am going to do my very best to finish this monster of a fic before Endgame comes out. There's only one or two more chapters after this one, so we're finally heading for the finish line. Thank you all so much for the comments and kudos, I appreciate them so much and they give me the fuel to keep going!

“Oh bloody fuck!” Loki barked, stumbling away from the portal. 

“Strange?!” Carol gasped, stepping forward eagerly. 

Strange stepped over the discarded pile of books Bucky had yet to read, his eyes glimmering with anger, “What have you done?”

“Oh by Odin’s beard! How did you find us?!” Loki snapped, unable to hide the mix of fear and relief in his voice. 

Gamora and Bucky moved closer. Strange’s eyes fell on her “I’ve been working with the Guardians to find you, Gamora, for weeks. While Loki and Bucky had a spell on them to make them untraceable, you do not.” 

Loki snapped back, “Well that was just…” Loki paused and reconsidered “That was not a half-bad intuition to follow.” Loki brushed a finger across his his cheekbone, “But a lucky mistake on my part.”

Strange looked beyond aggravated, “As if that matters! Do you have any idea what state the Avengers are in right now?! The Guardians are beyond the point of helping others they're so worried, and the Earth members seriously believe that you kidnapped Barnes so you could use him as your-” Strange's face curled unpleasantly “-sex slave or something.” 

“Oh Jesus Christ” Bucky threw his hands in the air.

“And it doesn't help that I couldn't find you, nor could Ms. Maximoff. You very intentionally were trying to avoid being found, and now it's blowing up in your faces!” Strange snarled, his cloak billowing around him. 

Carol stepped between them, hands raised “While I understand this has been hard for you Stephen, we are in the middle of a much bigger mess at the moment and can't let Bucky and Loki go back to Earth. Not without risking it's destruction.” 

Strange looked slightly less angry and more intimidated as Gamora stepped forward, “Have you heard of the Eternals, Strange?”

The wizard stiffened, his cloak dropping limply around him. “I'll take that as a yes” Gamora grabbed her glove and carefully removed it from her hand. She held it up and Strange turned white as the small bit of amber glowed on the back of her hand “They want the stones back, but that will mostly likely kill almost all six of us. We're hiding from the Eternals here, on Jotunheim, until we can come up with a plan of action”

Strange took a deep breath and looked around at the five of them, “Who has what stones? And where is the sixth?”

Carol sighed, “Power.”

“Space” Loki mumbled.

“Reality” Bucky barked sharply. 

“Mind” Eira nodded calmly.

“Soul” Gamora finished, “The sixth is still with the Eternals, we couldn't convince its new host to help us.”

“The Time stone” Strange sighed “Who has it?”

There was a moment of uncomfortable shifting in the room before Bucky spoke, “Mordo, an old colleague of yours from what I've heard.”

Strange's face dropped and he suddenly looked far older than he had a moment before, “I see, that makes sense. It seems most of you have some connection to your stones.” He glanced from Bucky to Eira, “Though I don't understand why you two have the stones you do.”

Bucky exhaled heavily, “I understand why I have this one, at least. When Loki and I were fighting Thanos I was the one who managed to break the gauntlet. I pulled the Reality Stone out with my vibranium arm.”

Loki stepped forward, “I believe this all happened only because when Bucky pulled the Reality Stone from the Gauntlet, the stone automatically chose his arm as a new host due to its chemical makeup. I believe the other stones just tried to follow suit by choosing hosts.” 

Carol's eyebrow shifted up her face, “You say that like they're conscious beings?”

“In a way, they are,” Strange brushed his hand down his chin, “They aren't alive the same way any of us are, but they certainly have a will, a conscious, can't you feel it?” 

Carol glanced down at her hand, and the slight purple glow coming from her knuckle. “I suppose so, but it’s hard for me to tell.”

Gamora sighed, “Each stone has a different feeling and conscious, which is part of why they are so hard to control. Which is why some people can hold them longer than others, and as for us, we’re lucky enough that the stones have decided to work with us” she lamented cynically. 

“Some of us are luckier than others I guess” Bucky sighed, crossing his arms. All eyes turned on him “Don’t assume I’m oblivious, I understand that humans are known for being unable to hold Infinity Stones, so the fact that I’m not dead yet is more than a miracle.”

Strange nodded, “Even I had to use the Eye in order to keep the Time Stone on my person.” The Sorcerer Supreme sighed, “Look, even though I understand the risk of returning to Earth, you can’t stay here on Jotunheim forever. I have a feeling you’ll have people pursuing you from either end if you try it. And I will have to report this to the Avengers, otherwise Ms. Maximoff will rat me out for lying about it.”

They all exchanged a look. Carol huffed, “Well then, I guess we have one option left.”

Gamora groaned and sank back down on the couch. Bucky squeezed his eyes shut and Loki gripped his hands in front of him. Carol pulled herself to her full height “We have to take the fight back to the Eternals, and hope that we’ll be able to surprise them”

Strange raised his eyebrows “You want to take on the most powerful beings in the universe? All by yourselves?”

Carol quirked a smile at him, “Well we won’t be alone, will we? You’ll be here to help us.”

Loki shifted, “I would also request Wanda be brought along, she has proven her strength.”

Strange glared at him, “You don’t want to bring along your brother? The god who was actually able to face down Thanos?”

Loki glowered at him, “No, I’d rather him not become involved.”

Strange rolled his eyes, “Of course not, and I’m guessing you don’t want me to tell the rest of the Avengers for the same reason?”

He was greeted with a series of tired nodding. Strange sighed and shook his head, “This is by far one of the worst ideas I think I’ve ever heard…”

Carol set a hand on his shoulder, “But you’ll help us, won’t you?”

After a long moment of silence Strange nodded, “Yes, if I don’t then my head does on the chopping block should you all die. Which we most likely will anyway given who we’re facing.”

Eira stepped forward, “If I may. I don’t believe we’ll have to face all of the Eternals. I know that several of them don’t really care for the idea of keeping the stones, they just don’t want to be blamed for any more destruction caused by the Stones.” 

Loki’s eyebrows climbed up his face, “Who?”

Eira clasped her hands over her stomach and began picking at one palm. “Uranos, Makkari, Mordior, Ceyote, and Farbauti are all no real threat to us. Thyrio only follows Kaiscion, if we could separate the two it is possible that Thyrio might leave us alone as well”

Carol rested her hands on her hips, “Then that just leaves Kaiscion and Ihedell. Two against seven, that’s much better odds.” 

“Except these beings are even more powerful than Thanos, and we barely beat him last time” Strange snapped.

“It may be risky” Loki began, and all eyes turned on him “But I believe we may be able to convince Farbauti to fight with us. Our odds would greatly increase with one of them on our side.”

Gamora raised an eyebrow, “And how do you plan on convincing her to help us?”

Loki shook his head, “I can’t tell you yet, you’ll have to trust me.”

“Absolutely not” Gamora growled.

“I second that” Strange snapped

Bucky stepped into the conversation from where he’d been watching “We may just have to, whether we want to or not. If Loki thinks he can get an Eternal on our side, we should attempt it, we need all the help we can get. We also need a plan of action, we can’t just barrel into this”

Gamora nodded “I second that. We all understand just how incredible these beings are, we have to find a way to organize ourselves so that we can handle this threat”

“We’re all incredibly skilled warriors, Gamora, I wouldn’t worry about that portion” Loki sighed tiredly.

Gamora’s eyebrows shot to her hairline and she glared him down “Oh really? Well I’m glad you’re so confident! Is that how you managed to face down Thanos?! Did you think confidence could defeat him?!”

Carol stepped between them “Woah, let’s take a breather. Why don’t we take a break to let all of this process. We can regroup in a little while and work on a strategy” 

Gamora huffed angrily and stormed into the next room over. Strange motioned for Carol to follow him and they stepped into the next room over. Eira shook her head “I’m going to speak with Corsin and see if there’s any way he can get some food for us, that might help calm everyone down”

Eira drifted back out of the apartment and Loki and Bucky were left alone. “Well that went wonderfully” Loki growled. 

“To be fair, you were in a room filled with some of the most skeptical and distrusting people in the galaxy, and asked them to trust you” Bucky sighed “I don’t even like the idea of working with one of the Eternals. How do you plan on convincing Farbauti to help us”

Loki paused, eyes focusing on Bucky for a long moment. He took a shuddering breath “James, can I trust you? To keep a secret?”

Bucky nodded slowly, thrown off by the use of his first name. Loki dropped down onto the couch and Bucky followed. “I was speaking with Eira, and as I turns out I knew even less about my heritage and how I came to be on Asgard than I even thought”

Loki swallowed thickly “Eira is….” he choked on his words “my sister…”

Bucky balked and glanced towards the door. Loki continued “She is four hundred years younger, but the only other child of Laufey to have the same mother as me. As for our mother…”

Loki grabbed Bucky’s hand for support. “Farbauti, she is our mother. Neither Eira or I are full-blooded Jotunn, we’re part Eternal”

Bucky stared at him with wide eyes for a long moment “Oh wow… And uh, you think that you’ll be able to convince your… mother… to help us, because she’s your mother?”

Loki shifted “I don’t know about that, I was watching her interact with the other Eternals, and it seemed as though she was more of an outcast, like she didn’t agree with them. I’m more betting on that”

Bucky tilted his head “But you’re hoping for it’s because she’s your mother” 

Loki was silent for a long moment, his eyes resting on the floor tiredly. Bucky sighed “Well, look at the bright side. You now know you have a sister you didn’t know about, and from what we’ve seen she doesn’t seem like she’s extremely evil or anything, unlike Hela. So I guess that’s good”

Loki didn’t reply, so Bucky continued “And if anything, you now know who your mother is. Even if she’s a crazy powerful, immortal being, you know. You don’t have to guess anymore. But that being said, it’s important to remember that your lineage doesn’t decide who you are”

Loki turned frosty eyes on him and Bucky smiled carefully “It doesn’t matter who your biological parents are, or your adoptive parents, you get decide what you do, and who that makes you. And who can influence you. I mean, look at me, my dad was…. terrible, you know that. And then I was a prisoner of war for decades, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop trying to be better”

Loki squeezed Bucky’s hand “I talked to Bruce at one point and he told me “You don’t have to be good, you just have to be better, you always have to try and be better than you were before””

Bucky nodded “If you always aim to be better, you’re far more likely to end up being good eventually. If you try and be good right away, you’re likely to get frustrated and give up” 

Loki chuckled “I suppose you’re right”

Bucky smiled snidely “Of course I am, because I’m great at giving advice and watching out for people. How else do you think Steve survived this long?” 

Loki laughed and shook his head “Yes, I’ve seen his recklessness firsthand, I know just how bad he can be” 

Bucky sighed a chuckle “It’s his most incurable disease”

Loki raised an eyebrow “What? Recklessness?”

Bucky deadpanned “Dumbass disease”

Loki barked out a laugh before dissolving into softer laughs “By Odin, it must be contagious among heroes then. I mean look at my brother!”

Bucky laughed with him “You could name almost any Avenger and find them guilty of it”

Loki deadpanned “All except Ms. Potts, she is by far the most incredible woman I’ve met in a very long time”  
“I second that” Bucky snorted “I think she’s the only person in the world who could put up with Stark’s BS as long as she has”

“Yes well, I suppose we’re all lucky to have people who understand and accept us for who we are” Loki sighed. 

Bucky nodded in agreement but remained silent. After a stretch of silence Loki spoke again “Now that we’re no longer in the middle of an asteroid belt, will you allow me to finish styling your hair?”

Bucky huffed but dropped himself onto the floor and moved to sit cross-legged between Loki’s feet. Loki summoned a brush and began combing through Bucky’s hair, which was in a bedraggled state due to everything that had happened in the past few weeks. 

“So, I was going to ask during our previous conversation but was cut off when the ship alarms went off… You mentioned something about being unable to handle it should you have to watch your sibling die. I never knew that you… had, any siblings” Loki mentioned gently, watching Bucky carefully to see his reaction.

Bucky was quiet, eyes trained on the wall ahead of him. His chest rose and fell in a shaky pattern. “I did” Bucky began slowly “I was the oldest of four…”

Loki felt his breath catch slightly but waited for Bucky to continue. “My sister Rebecca, Becca, was seven years younger than me, we used to be extremely close. We were, even after I was drafted, she always sent me letters. She worked with the Red Cross at home during the war, went into nursing. She was a spitfire, always managed to keep even Steve on his toes. But she was kind and compassionate, always wanted to help people. I missed her the most out of everyone when I went away.  
Dolores, Dot, was only a year or so younger than Becca. She and I never got along quite as well. She was independent from the age of three and wanted absolutely no help with anything. She was a brilliant student, even better than I was, and managed to get into college right before the US joined the war, so she avoided having to work there. I think she ended up being a professor of some sort in the end, but I’m not sure”

Bucky’s face drained of color, and he was quiet for a long moment “Then there was Ruth, the youngest of the family. She was two years younger than Dot. Ruth was kind, like Becca, but much more timid. Except when it came to protecting others. I think in that way she only rivaled Steve. She joined the Red Cross with Becca, but she got sent overseas, because she was a driver, she drove trucks around. She was even more like Steve, because she lied on her recruitment form, and wasn’t even seventeen when she went overseas…”

Bucky swallowed thickly and his voice cracked when he began to speak again “I never found out, the letter didn’t reach the camp until after after I’d already been assumed dead, but Steve told me that he’d received in my stead. It only made things worse for him” Bucky blinked back tears “Ruth’s caravan was caught in an ambush, and because she was like Steve, she died trying to protect the injured soldiers with them”

Bucky pressed a hand to his head, shielding his face from Loki's face “I didn't find out until after the collapse of SHIELD, when I was on my own. It… destroyed me, knocked me down for days, even though I understood that none of my siblings would likely be alive any longer, even though I barely even knew who they were at the time”

Bucky voice grated as he finished “I couldn't imagine watching even one of them die, let along watching it multiple times” 

Loki was silent for a long time, gently pulling Bucky's hair into loose braids running from his temples to meet in the back. There was a gnawing feeling deep in his ribcage, scraping at the inside of his spine. Loki'd felt it before, but always shoved it down, telling himself he'd deal with it later. It hit Loki that something in him had decided this was later. 

Loki took a deep breath, his chest shuddering as he tried to keep his rising emotions from overwhelming him. It didn't work. One moment he was fine, the next Loki was shaking. Fire burned down to his fingertips, there was a tightening at the base of his shoulder blades, the taste of bile in his mouth, his tongue sitting like lead in his mouth, he couldn't focus on even thinking. 

Loki could feel the ghost of a hand pressed between his shoulder blades, and another on his forehead. There was an icy grip on his bicep, and it seemed to be holding him upright as the world swirled and swayed around him. There was a rush of frantic voices around him, but Loki tuned them out, looking for some kind of relief. Loki gasped for air and nearly threw up the mass winding in his chest.

Bucky was freaking the fuck out. He'd dealt with panic attacks before, especially his own, many times, but never one at the level which Loki was experiencing. Bucky leaned away from Loki as the Jotunn gagged, his eyes milky white as he shook. Bucky pressed his fingertips into the dip between Loki's shoulder blades, his metal fingers keeping Loki's hair out of his face.

Eira exchanged a glance with Bucky, keeping her steely grip on Loki's bicep as she whispered some sort of cantrip. Bucky glanced over his shoulder and nearly laughed with relief as Strange whirled into the room, Carol and Gamora only a step behind him.

“What's going on?” Strange demanded, and Bucky watched the Doctor mask drop over the sorcerer's face. 

Bucky shook his head “He's having a panic attack of some sort, but I've never seen one this strong before” 

Strange knelt in front of Loki and with a glance was able to determine what ever spell Eira was muttering. Strange cast one of his own and pressed his thumbs to Loki's forehead, his fingers resting under Loki's eyes. 

Carol rounded the sofa, paler than Bucky had seen her “Dear God, he looks like he's dying” she whispered hoarsely. 

Even Gamora looked horrified “What caused this?

Bucky shifted uncomfortably “Guilt, extreme guilt that has never been dealt with or processed properly. It can kill you, it really can” 

Every being in the room sombered just a tiny bit more, if anyone knew what guilt was, it was those in the hero profession. There was just, never enough time, or people, or resources, you couldn’t save everyone, answer every call. Sometimes you just weren’t fast enough. 

Strange cast some spell but growled when nothing seemed to happen “He has to let it go, at least some of it, he’s unconsciously put up a barrier that’s preventing me from tapping into his system to calm him down” 

Gamora stepped forward and crouched down beside Strange, who shifted over slightly. “I know more about guilt than people assume. And I know more about Thanos than anyone else, let me try”

Gamora met Loki’s glassy gaze “Loki, I need you to try and listen to me. You are carrying a deadly amount of guilt that stems from your past actions. You have to let it go or else it very well may kill you”

Loki’s only response was his head bowing further down. Gamora huffed nervously and grabbed one of Loki’s hands “Listen to me. I saw firsthand what you went through when you were under Thanos’ influence. I saw the deeds you committed on Asgard, how you hurt your brother, but understand this, Thor forgives you. He’s told you so, and he still loves you enough to keep you close”

Loki shifted slightly and Gamora continued “I watched your treatment under the Chitauri, I saw what they did to you” She grit her teeth and tried to keep calm as the memories resurfaced “I know why you helped and led the attack on New York. I know why you had to help Thanos, even if it meant him growing closer to his end. And guess what, I forgive you”

Loki took a deep breath, eyes blinking slowly. Bucky nodded to Gamora encouragingly, she took a breath of her own and continued “I forgive you, though I was hurt by your actions too. You have proven, not only to me, but to the universe, that you are trying to atone, and that is more important. So I forgive you”

Gamora squeezed his hand “Now, it’s time for you to forgive yourself”

\--------------------------------------------------------  
**The Compound; One Day Earlier**

Wanda woke up on the couch in the common room, a deep feeling of sickness weighing down her bones. She was granted with a moment of quiet before the roaring of angry heroes awoke her from her slumber. Wanda wasn’t sure exactly what was going on, but she did know that something was entirely wrong. It was what had made her pass out. 

She could feel the flow of the universe around her at a heightened rate, the push and pull made it feel like she was in the ocean. Wanda groaned quietly and gripped the edge of the couch. She inhaled sharply as her fingers phased part way through the couch and she quickly pulled her hand back to her chest. Wanda looked down at herself and sat up in a panic.  
Her physical form was hardly that. Sections of her body were phased partway out; one of her feet was unable to be seen as it was phased into the arm of the couch. Wanda carefully curled herself into a ball and shakily rose to her feet.

She had absolutely no idea what was going on, but everything was wrong. Wanda began to focus so she could project and see what was going on in the next room over, but the second she did she felt her mind jump. Wanda winced as the noise from the room over exploded in her head, and after a minute of filtering some of it out she was able to understand what was being said.

“I had absolutely no idea! Why am I in trouble for this!” Shuri snarled angrily “If anyone’s to blame it’s Sleeping Beauty! She can read minds for Bast’s sake! She should’ve been able to tell that they were lying!” 

“Because you know Bucky almost as well as I do!” Steve shouted “You couldn’t tell something was wrong with him?!”

T’Challa stepped in “Do not blame my sister for the mistakes of Barnes and Loki!”

“Okay, enough!” Tony shouted, his voice overshadowing the others “Strange, do you have any idea how we can find them?” 

Dr. Strange sighed “I don’t know, I thought I knew where they were but now it seems as though they have moved. I can’t locate them, not even with my normal tracking spells”

Wanda knew where they were. A small voice in the back of her mind whispered the name. The voice seemed familiar but she couldn’t place it. Wanda gently reached out to Dr. Strange, urging him to come back into the common room. Wanda tuned out the rest of the conversation and focused on staying on her feet.

A few moments later Strange drifted through the doorway, muttering some excuse over his shoulder. He spoke through her mind with a calming voice.

“Are you alright? You collapsed a good while ago” Strange paused and noticed that he could see through parts of Wanda and realized the question was ridiculous.

Wansa shook her head “No I'm not, I think it's something to do with the Mind Stone”

“The Mind Stone?” Strange breathed heavily. 

“It is the origins of my power. The closer my bond to it, the more stable I am. I've been away from it far too long, and it's now in a far off realm I can't reach” 

Strange balked “You know where it is?”

Wanda nodded slowly “It's with Loki and Bucky. And Gamora. And Captain Danvers” 

“Do you know where they are?” 

“No, but if you can find Gamora, you'll find them all” 

Strange glanced down, then back at Wanda “Try and hang in there. I'll find them, and then I'll be back for you” 

\--------------------------------------------------------

**Jotunheim, Current Time**

They managed to calm Loki down after a little while. But as soon as the trickster was calm again, Strange was quick to explain the situation with Wanda.

Carol was the first to admit that Wanda wouldn't be the worst addition to their team, if they really were going up against the Eternals. But then the question of how to get her off Earth raised a problem.

“Couldn't you just teleport her here?” Bucky asked.

“If she really was in such dire condition she was most likely put in the infirmary, where she'll be under constant surveillance” Carol sighed. 

“Loki, you have the Space Stone, what do you think we should do. Could you teleport her out?” Eira leaned against the back of the “couch”.

Loki shook his head “The portal would too easily show up on camera. We'd have to find a spot out of camera view and a way to get her there without being stopped” 

“The back hall behind the training halls?” Bucky sat up in his seat “There aren't any cameras back there. I figured that out during my first sweep of the place”

“And how do we her get there?” Carol asked “If she walks out through the quad she's sure to be seen”

A small smile flicked onto Bucky's face “The tunnel”

Everyone stared at him for a long moment. “What tunnel?” Loki asked.

“You really think Stark wouldn't put underground tunnels connecting the halls to the main compound? He plans for everything, even nuclear war. I don't think many people know they even exist. I do know that Peter likes to go down there sometimes when he needs to get away from everyone, but he'll most likely be with Stark” Bucky explained.

Strange nodded “You have a point, let's just hope we can get our message to Wanda” 

“I believe I have an idea as to how to do that” Loki rose from his seat “If I use the Space Stone to create a portal, Eira may be able to use the Mind Stone and send the message through without detection. The building AI knows to detect my magic, and Strange's, but Vision also lived there while housing the stone” 

“So the message shouldn't cause any alerts to go off” Carol hummed. 

“Exactly” Loki qualified “Message goes in, Wanda comes out. Should be quick and painless” 

“This feels wrong” Gamora stalked behind the couch in agitation “Doesn't this feel wrong to anyone else? We are going behind the backs of the Avengers, those most qualified to defend and aid us, and are going to try and defeat beings so extremely powerful even Thanos feared them” 

“I must agree” Eira looked beside Gamora “While I promised to help you, I feel we should bring more than a single person to aid us”

“As much as I would love more help, she will be the most effective aid we can get. Wanda's powers come directly from the Mind Stone, she will be on par with all the rest of us. We don't want to risk anyone with lesser powers getting dragged into this” Loki sighed. 

Several unimpressed glares turned on him “For their safety” Loki growled “You think I don't want more help?” 

“Alright, enough, let's get moving. Fate won't wait much longer” Carol growled. 

\--------------------------------------------------------

**Compound:**

Wanda very much disliked the Med. Bay. Partly because it was so stuffy and cold, and reminded her far too much of HYDRA facilities. But mostly because if she was checked in there that meant there were at least a few people who'd be buzzing around her like gnats the entire time. 

Vision was the worst, as much as she loved him. He was still learning human social cues and he still had some situations where it was obvious just how…. different… he viewed things. Thankfully, after nearly ten hours of him constantly being at her bedside, Vision was called away to try and aid in calming down several extremely agitated Avengers and Wanda was left alone in the Med. 

Wanda was no longer phasing in and out of solidity as badly as before, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong with the order of the universe. Something even worse than what she'd felt when Thanos had begun reclaiming the stones. 

Wanda was far from surprised when she saw a small wisp of yellow energy snake its way through the doorway and over to her. Wanda remained still, as to not alert Friday to the fact that something might be off. The moment it reached Wanda she knew that it was the Mind Stone, or at least a part of its energy. The sliver of energy brushed itself across her hands and she stifled a gasp as her form resolidified. 

Her powers were given to her by the Mind Stone, only it’s power could keep her stable. Wanda came to a stunning conclusion; she was falling apart because the Mind Stone was likely wherever Loki and Bucky were, far across the universe. Wanda needed to be close to the stone, that’s when she was the most powerful, because her power still came from it. 

Wanda glanced up to the corner of the room, where she knew a hidden camera was watching her every move “FRIDAY, are you required to report my every activity to the rest of the Avengers?”

The AI responded instantly “No, Ms. Maximoff. I am only required to report should you show any signs of distress. Are you in distress at the moment?”

Wanda shook her head “I am not, but I do feel like taking a walk”

FRIDAY paused for a moment “Do you know how long you will be gone?” 

Wanda sighed and carefully dragged her legs over the side of the bed, dropping down onto the floor “I’m not sure, but no matter what, do not alert the Avengers unless I somehow hurt myself. Do you understand?”

“I do, best of luck Ms. Maximoff”

\----------------------------

Wanda crept along the hallway, supporting herself as she leaned against the wall. The wisp ducked back around the corner, as if it was checking that she was still following, before disappearing again. Wanda moved deeper into the tunnel, past a few closed doorways and another that was open, but dark. 

Wanda turned the corner and found herself at a dead end. The wisp floated around for a moment before flying right into the wall. Wanda gasped as a portal shimmered into view. 

It was one of Strange’s, amber sparks flying around the rim. Another look and Wanda realized it was no ordinary portal, it was a locked portal, meaning only specific beings could pass through it. Wanda blearly gazed through the portal, which seemed to lead out into a hallway. It was lined with metal panels, but Wanda could tell by the architecture and the pull of cold air through the portal that it did not lead anywhere on the planet. 

He’d found them. Strange had found them, and Wanda needed to go. Wanda took a deep breath, reflecting on what Strange had taught her about portals. She held out her hands, and with the same movement used to create a portal, unlocked the amber portal. Wanda’s magic was red, so the portal morphed and the concrete hall was cast in a red light. 

Wanda moved to step through the portal but was stopped by a nervous voice calling out her name “Wanda? Where are you going?”

Wanda looked over her shoulder and took a shaky breath “Peter? Shuri? What are you doing down here?”

The pair stepped out of the shadows, both looking equally nervous. Peter tucked his arms around his waist “I usually hang out down here when I need alone time, but neither of us wanted to be around the rest of the team right now, so we came down here” Peter glanced at the portal “Is that- Is that from Dr. Strange?”

Wanda nodded and Shuri stepped forward cautiously “Where are you going?”

Wanda shrugged “I’m not sure, but he told me he’s send for me when-” she paused, glancing at the teens “Do you- do you two have your gear on you?”  
Shuri and Peter nodded simultaneously, their faces betraying their nervousness. Wanda glanced back at the portal “Though the portal is his, Strange is not directly on the other side, which leads me to believe he may need help” She looked back at the pair “Come with me?”

Peter swallowed nervously “Does the portal… Does it go off-planet?”

Wanda nodded once more “I believe so” She held out a hand and Peter gripped it “I know you must be afraid of the idea of going back to space, but Dr. Strange needs our help. As do Bucky and Loki. I’d tell you two to stay, but I’m not exactly feeling myself at the moment and don’t know how much help I’ll be”

Shuri set a calming hand on Peter’s shoulder as she addressed Wanda “While I may not be in the mood to deal with you, I will do anything to help Bucky. Let’s do this, so we can bring them home”

Peter only glanced back once as they moved through the portal. Only as his nanotech suit folded over his shoulders.  
\-------------------------------------------------

**Ouroboros: Unknown Time**

Loki paced his cell frantically, checking the wrist watch Bucky had handed him. Three minutes, the monsters were already three minutes over and Loki could still hear the buzzing that rippled throughout the castle. Loki dreaded the thought at what condition Bucky might be in when Kaiscion brought him back. 

This had all been a mistake. The second they were off Jotunheim they had been overwhelmed and taken down by the Eternals and their lackeys. Strange and Gamora had managed to escape during the confusion, but Strange had been injured and Loki had no doubt the pair had been hiding out the past week as they recovered. 

Eira and Carol had been thrown in seperate cells, far from where Loki and Bucky were put. They’d been correct to predict that Ihedell would aid Kaiscion in his quest for the stones. She’d taken the Mind Stone from Eira and given it to Thyrio not long after they’d been captured. 

They’d also attempted to take the stones from Loki and Bucky, but Ihedell had run into a small problem. The Space and Reality stones were refusing to leave their hosts. So over the past seven days, Bucky and Loki had been rotated in and out of their shared cell as the Eternals tried to pry the stones from them. The Space Stone was still infused with Loki’s soul, he could feel its stubbornness. But three minutes over, Loki feared that the Reality Stone may have finally relinquished its grip on Bucky.

Which would mean that Kaiscion would have the stone back. And that Bucky most likely no longer be alive, as Loki doubted the Eternals were taking any care to adjust their methods to his mortal body. 

Loki froze as the sound of slight footsteps raced down the corridor towards his cell. He recognized the foot fall, the large stride, instantly. Loki's heart dropped to the bottom of his stomach and shattered "Oh please no, he can't be here"

Peter bolted down the hallway towards Loki's cell "Loki!"

Loki surged forward and grabbed the bars of the cell, ignoring the instant draining of blood and strength he felt "Peter! What are you doing here?!"

Peter grabbed Loki's hands "It's okay, Dr. Strange brought Wanda, Shuri, and I for backup! We're going to get you out of here"

Loki shook his head frantically, ignoring the bile in his mouth "No no no no no no no! Why would he bring you?!" Loki squeezed Peter's hands through the bars, despite the electric charge running through them "Peter, you can't be here! You have no idea what we're up against, this is far bigger than you think! You won't stand a chance" 

Peter glared at Loki "I can handle more than you think! I took on Thanos!"

Loki felt his resolve draining by the second and he struggled to find the words he needed. "Peter, I need you to promise me something" Loki demanded "I need you to promise me that no matter what happens, you and Shuri are going to get out of here alive"

Peter skin ran cold, his face draining. Loki continued "You see either me or Strange or Marvel go down in this fight and you run like the fires of Hel are at your heels! You take Shuri and you don't stop until you're back on Earth with the Avengers"

"Loki" Peter whimpered "Who are we fighting? Why are you so scared?"

Loki shook his head with a terrified smile "Thanos is nothing compared to who we face now, they make him look like a child throwing a temper tantrum" 

Peter pressed his forehead to the bars as Loki glanced down the hallway "Peter, you need to leave. They'll be bringing Bucky back at any moment, you cannot be seen or they'll kill you"

Peter jumped and scanned the hall in a single look. Peter's eyes fell on the maintenance room a few doors down and he glanced at Loki. Loki nodded and let go of his hands "Lay low, I'll tell you when to come out"

Peter bolted and swiftly hacked the door, which opened with a cracking noise, as if it hadn't been used in a long time. Peter slipped inside the room and the door closed behind him just as Loki's ears picked up on the sound of Kaiscion's footsteps. Loki backed away from the bars, cradling his stinging hands to his chest.

Loki stepped to the far wall as Kaiscion stopped in front of the cell. Loki glanced at Bucky, who was tucked under the Eternal's arm. Kaiscion unlocked the cell with a swipe of his hand, eyes fixated on Loki. Kaiscion tossed Bucky inside and his metal arm clanged on the floor as he rolled away from Kaiscion.

Kaiscion slammed the door shut once more and locked it with deadly eyes. Loki waited until he was out of earshot to move to Bucky. Loki dropped to his knee beside Bucky and turned him over. 

Bucky looked relatively unharmed, his new injuries being only another split in his lip and a few bruises. But Bucky was deathly pale, his veins visible through his skin, and his breathing was slowed to a death march. Loki carefully shifted Bucky into his lap and called out for Peter. A moment later the teen reappeared in front of the bars.

Peter took one look at Bucky and his hand flew to cover his mouth. Loki pressed his hand over Bucky's forehead and began a healing spell, eyes turning on Peter "Tell me, where are Strange and the others now?"

"They're uh, they're working on rescuing Captain Marvel. Dr. Strange thought that I'd be able to get you out on my own" Peter explained, glancing down the hall. 

Loki nodded "And you can, but I need you to do exactly as I say"


	8. Eternal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Check the end of chapter for notes- slight spoilers, be warned)
> 
> The final battle commences...

Loki and Peter crept down the hall, Bucky dragging between them as he slowly regained consciousness. Bucky groaned and Loki quietly hushed him. Bucky blinked blearily, slowly coming back to his surroundings. As soon as Bucky realized where he was his breathing shifted, acting as a cue for Loki to pause.

“You here with us, Bucky?” Loki asked in a hushed tone. 

Bucky nodded slowly, still shaking the fog from his mind. His eyes grew wide and he glared at Peter from the corner of his eye for a long moment. Bucky’s head whipped around to glare at Loki with burning anger.

Loki sighed and shook his head “Not my call, both Peter and Shuri came with Wanda”

Bucky’s face dropped into a mask of terror “Oh God”

Peter grimaced and tucked himself under Bucky’s arm even more “Sorry, but we just couldn’t stand by knowing that you all were in danger”

Bucky looked down at Peter, eyes alight with emotions not often seen in them “Do the other Avengers know?”

Peter hummed “Yes and no. Strange explained the situation to them before he left, but the rest of them were so busy fighting over what to do next that Wanda, Shuri and I were able to leave without alerting them” Peter grimaced “Though I’m sure they’ve noticed that the three of us are gone by now”

Bucky exhaled heavily, his head hanging forward “What’s the game plan?”

“Can you fight?” Loki moved away from Bucky, allowing the soldier to support himself.

Bucky wobbled slightly as Peter moved away from him, but was able to stand. He gave his companions a strong glare “Don’t really have much of a choice, do I?”

Loki’s mouth quirked into a smirk “No, I’m afraid it doesn’t seem we’re going to be able to reason with Kaiscion and Ihedell”

Bucky sighed heavily “God, it would be so much easier if people just liked to talk more than fighting”

Loki chuckled “Come, let’s go meet up with Strange and the others, then we can plan our attack”

\----------------------------------------------

 

Strange and the rest of the group managed to meet the trio in the hall, most of them looking as bad as Loki or worse. Strange, Shuri, Wanda, and Gamora seemed a little worse for the wear, but were still standing on their own. Carol looked exhausted, her skin pale and eyes dark as Wanda supported her. She wasn’t the worst off though. 

Shuri and Gamora were busy supporting Eira. The Jotunn had shrunk down to a more manageable size, but was in terrible condition. Her skin had faded to a light blue-gray and was cracking; her eyes were dull and lifeless. Eira looked as thought her very spirit had been drained from her. 

“What happened to her?” Bucky demanded as Loki rushed over to Eira and began examining her. Sure, Bucky had been weirded out when they found out that Eira and Loki were siblings, they all had been weirded out. But that moment had passed and now Eira felt like a far more important part of the group. 

Carol grimaced, “They took the Mind Stone from her. Tried to the Power Stone from me too, but it won’t let go.”

Loki slung Eira’s arm around his neck and took her weight from Wanda and Gamora. “They tried to take the Space and Reality Stones as well, but neither of them relented.”

“So we’re down another stone,” Shuri sighed “That leaves us with four of the six to work into our plan.”

“What is the plan?” Peter asked from where he was supporting Bucky. 

“Fight,” Carol stepped forward, “It’s all going to go hell the second we confront them anyway. Take on whoever needs to be taken on. Help each other. Look out for each other. We don’t have time to really think this through. We need to do this, now.”

They all exchanged looks. Bucky sighed, “Alright, let’s do this thing.” 

\-----------------------------------

Fighting was ingrained in Bucky’s blood. It was something he was so beyond used to that fighting was hardly even stressful most of the time. He was cold and calculating in battle, like he’d been made to be by Hydra. He’d always hated how calm he was in battle, but he absolutely hated the feelings of terror and adrenaline that flooded him more. 

The second those doors had been thrown open the entire room had been thrown into chaos. Thankfully, they’d been right about who they’d have to fight, as only Kaiscion, Ihedell, and Mordior had shown the final drive to come after them. Mordo was with them as well, running behind like a lap dog. Every Avenger ran to meet them; Bucky felt like running the other direction. 

Bucky hated fighting, that hadn’t changed, even if it was ingrained in him. But something had changed when he since the end of the Infinity War. He didn’t like fighting, but he’d never hesitated to charge in when he was needed. Maybe it was the Reality Stone, but something deep in him was screaming for him to run. There was no way Bucky could ever let the Kaiscion have the stone, and Bucky was ready to run for the rest of eternity if it meant he could keep the Reality Stone out of Kaiscion’s grip. Kaiscion would never let that happen.

Kaiscion ran directly for Bucky, mouth open in a blood-curdling scream as he raised a hand. Bucky felt a tug from the Reality Stone and opened his mind, allowing it to take control of the moment. The world flashed around him and Kaiscion went flying backwards as a flying car hit him. 

They exchanged blows, tossing items back and forth between them in bright flashes of red light. Bucky fell backwards as the ground below him melted and dropped away to reveal a large chasm. Bucky caught the edge of the cliff, panting as he tried the pull himself back over the edge. 

There was a large boom and Bucky could feel a wave of heat. “Hold on Bucky!” Carol yelled, and a moment later she was pulling him back over the edge. 

There was a small split second of thanks before Carol took off again, headed right for Ihedell. Carol burned like an inferno as she faced down the Eternal, aiding Farbauti as the other giantess tried to wrestle Ihedell into the ground. 

Strange and Mordo seemed to be locked in some sort of silent battle. They were standing perfectly still, hands raised in almost mirroring positions as the battle ranged around them. Wanda had explained the Mirror Dimension to Bucky very briefly, after she’d learned about it herself. It had been slightly confusing to try and follow, since he knew almost nothing about magic, but Bucky had a feeling the pair were fighting there instead of the ‘real world’.

Wanda was darting around in the air, trying to aid Loki and Eira in taking down Mordior. The psychic Eternal may have seemed hardly a threat before, but he was proving himself as he simply waved off most of the attacks from all three beings. Loki screamed in frustration and with a flick of his wrist summoned dual swords. 

“NO KNIVES LOKI!” Bucky roared as he raced back towards Kaiscion. 

While he’d been hanging over the cliff edge, Peter and Shuri had been doing their best to try and keep Kaiscion preoccupied. It was almost sad to watch, but the kids seemed to almost be holding their own. And then Gamora was doing what she did best, which was kicking ass.

Peter was swinging and jumping around at incredible speed, moving as a blur as he used his webs to entangle Kaiscion. Shuri had taken a length of vibranium rope and was running around Kaiscion’s feet. Bucky guessed they were pulling the same stunt that Peter had done at the airport in Berlin a few years back. Gamora was launching off blasts of power, not unlike Carol could, with the power of the Soul Stone. 

Every blast was different, and they didn’t feel like normal energy blasts either. Whenever Gamora shot off a blast of energy, he could feel a pulsating in his chest.The Soul Stone was drawing power from everyone around it, and channeling that energy into a viable attack. Bucky wasn’t sure if he wanted to know how it worked. 

The three working on Kaiscion saw Bucky coming and surged out of the way. Kaiscion raised his arm to attack, energy pulsating from him. But Bucky was faster. Kaiscion was knocked back as he was hit dead on by a huge chunk of rubble. Bucky continued throwing more chunks of rubble at him, trying to bury him long enough for them to regroup. 

“Careful! You don’t want to use up all your power and be left defenseless!” Loki screamed over his shoulder as he launched a binding spell at Mordior “You’re still weakened!”

“I know!” Bucky yelled, flinching as the rubble flew away from Kaiscion. 

The Eternal struggled to his feet and snapped, eyes vicious and bloody. The energy around Bucky tugged and he gasped as walls of metal folded around him. Bucky screamed as large spikes shot towards him, locking him in the embrace of an iron maiden. 

The darkness was suffocating, and Bucky yelled in fear and frustration. He couldn’t move without cutting himself on the large spikes. Bucky felt panic closing around him as the seconds ticked by. 

He could hear the battle raging on outside; loud explosions and yelling as Gamora and Peter tried to keep Kaiscion back long enough for Shuri to get Bucky out of the Iron Maiden. Bucky could hear Shuri firing rapidly at the metal, but Kaiscion must’ve kept his spell running, as the holes closed fast enough to prevent Bucky from escaping. Shuri geared up her guns and ripped the front of the iron maiden off. She grabbed Bucky’s arm and yanked him away from it faster than he could process what was happening. 

The battle shifted in an instant. There was a blood curdling scream and a large wave of energy ripped through the hall. Everyone stumbled back from the epicenter and Bucky realized with a gasp that Moridor was gone, a ring of black ash the only sign of where he’d disappeared. Ihedell shrieked, an ear-splitting noise, as Kaiscion let out a bloody roar. 

Loki and Wanda raced towards Ihdell, who had managed to knock down Farbauti and was slowly forcing Carol back. Eira turned towards Kaiscion and fired off a powerful spell. 

Everything was bloodier after that, harder, more deadly. Ihedell and Kaiscion were terribly powerful, but became even more so at the loss of their ally. Bucky felt his energy draining from him extremely quickly as the battle raged on, no real end in sight. 

Bucky yelled as a blast of energy that radiated from a particularly strong punch Gamora delivered to Kaiscion’s stomach and nearly knocked him off his feet. A split second later he dove sideways to avoid being crushed as Kaiscion tossed Gamora away from him with a roar. Gamora hit a column and the force caused a large chunk of rubble to fall on her. Ihedell screamed in pain as Wanda threw a huge chunk of rock at her, Loki adding to the force with a ice shard spell. Strange was still locked in his mind battle with Mordo, but it seemed as though it was beginning to break down. 

Peter shot a web at Kaiscion only to watch in horror as it dissolved in bright red light. Peter yelled as Kaiscion threw him backwards with a wave of his hand. Peter tumbled head over heels and rolled to a stop near where Gamora was still trapped under rubble, and Shuri was trying to haul her out. Bucky bolted over to Peter, dodging Loki and Farbauti as they simultaneously charged Ihedell.

Bucky glanced at Shuri as he checked on Peter, “Shuri! If you’ve got any tricks up your sleeve, now would be the time!”

Shuri paused, gears turning in her head. She looked up at Bucky, and then glanced down at Gamora. Shuri gave Bucky a determined glare, “You can get her out?!”

Bucky nodded, helping Peter to his feet “Easily”. Bucky and Peter sprinted over to the pile of rubble and carefully started tugging pieces off of Gamora.

Shuri backed away from them, then turned to face down Kaiscion, who was closest to them. Shuri took a deep breath and dropped into a runner’s lunge “Oh Bast, my brother is going to kill me for this one.” 

Shuri bolted, tearing towards Kaiscion at full speed. She slammed her hand on her wrist, “I feel like a Power Ranger! This is such weak tech!”

Peter, Bucky, and Gamora all watched in fear as Shuri let out a giant leap. As she flew towards Kaiscions’s face a milky white substance crept out from under her uniform and Peter yelled triumphantly as Shuri was enveloped in a body suit almost identical to her brother’s. 

Shuri screamed and latched onto Kaiscion’s face. Bucky tore towards the Eternal instantly, “Shuri! What the fuck!”.

Kaiscion pried Shuri off his face and flung her off. She slammed into Bucky, who barely managed to plant his feet fast enough to not be knocked off his feet. Bucky carefully dropped Shuri back on her feet as Loki delivered another blow to Kaiscion, bright whirls of magic flying around him. 

“What the hell is this?!” Bucky yelled, motioning to her suit as he summoned a gun. 

Shuri removed the helmet and glared at him, “It’s an old prototype I managed to snag. I wasn’t planning on using it just yet.”

“But why is it white?” Bucky yelled, shooting at Kaiscion’s eyes with vibranium bullets, “That kinda ruins the Black Panther vibe.”

Shuri sighed and her claws slid out, “It’s my suit! I wanted to be able to match both of my brothers!”

Bucky paused, lowering his gun as he stared at her with soft eyes, “Holy shit, that’s actually really sweet”

Shuri shrugged, a sly smile on her face, “Well, I can have my moments.” She grinned at him, “Besides, you've managed to work your way into my heart over the years.” Bucky smiled down at her, words piling on the tip of his tongue. 

Gamora raced past them, “In case you forgot, we’re in the middle of a battle!”

“Right!” Shuri yelled, dropping into a battle stance. She grinned over at Bucky “Ready?”

Bucky nodded and dropped into a battle stance of his own. Shuri laughed quietly as she saw the color melt from his jacket and his uniform shift slightly so he matched her new suit. Shuri shoved her helmet back on. They took off towards Kaiscion at the same time, feet tearing across the floor. Peter and Eira charged at the same time, Loki running over from where his mother and the others were battling Ihedell. 

The six of them ran with vicious fury, but Kaiscion roared with bloody menace and a wave of explosive force poured from him. All six fighters were thrown backwards and the building shook with the force. As the roof came down Eira summoned the staff her mother carried and threw it with all her might at Kaiscion through the falling rubble. Kaiscion knocked it down with a wave of his hand and it clattered around his feet. 

Peter, Shuri, Bucky, and Gamora were all buried by various pieces of rubble that fell from the ceiling. Eira was pinned by a large metal beam that had fallen across her legs. Loki scrambled to his feet at the last second and teleported out of the way.

Bucky managed to shove the giant slab that had fallen off of him. Bucky stumbled to his feet as Loki teleported back into the battle. Eira yelled in panic as she tried to shove the beam off her legs, to no avail. 

Kaiscion roared furiously, grabbing Farbauti’s staff from the ground near his feet. “I have had enough of your interference child!” Kaiscion screamed viciously, and threw the staff.

Bucky felt like he was watching another nightmare unfurl. His body reacted before he had even processed what was happening. Eira screamed, desperately trying to pull her leg from beneath the metal beam. Bucky vaguely recognized Loki as he sprinted toward his sister from the opposite side of the room. 

Everything switched in a moment, Kaiscion’s eyes glowing red. Loki stumbled to a stop, eyes level with Bucky’s. He grabbed Bucky’s shoulder, his skin turning a pale white. Bucky looked down and his heart stopped. Kaiscion hadn’t been aiming for Eira, the hole in Loki’s abdomen attested to that. 

Bucky’s eyes found Loki’s. Loki stared at Bucky blankly, a frosty blue color crawling up his neck and onto his face. Bucky grabbed Loki frantically as the latter sank to his knees, “No!” Bucky yelled “No no no no no no! Loki!”

Bucky dropped to his knees and bundled his friend into his arms, “Hey! Hey! Look at me!” 

Loki gasped, writhing in Bucky’s grip, “Bucky!” 

Bucky choked on his terror, “You are not doing this again! No dying! You promised!”

A faint smile graced Loki’s lips and he laughed weakly as he morphed back into his Jotun form, “I know, I know, I promised” he stuttered weakly, eyes wandering.

Bucky grabbed Loki’s face, his eyes burning, “Loki, I swear to every god in existence, if you die, I will fucking kill you.”

Eira whimpered weakly, watching them with horrified tears on her face, “Brother!” Farbauti paused where she had been pulling her daughter from underneath the rubble. 

Frigid fingers rested against Bucky’s cheek as Loki’s eyes began to frost over “My brother and Brunnhilde…” Loki mumbled weakly.

Bucky growled, eyes on fire as he pushed down his tears. “You gotta tell them! You gotta tell them yourself!”

Loki’s eyes found Bucky’s face again and a weightless smile graced his face “Sorry, I believe it’s for real this time, no tricks up my sleeve” Loki’s face dropped “No miracles…” 

And he was gone

Bucky let out a blood curdling scream as the last of Loki’s body crumbled around his hands. Eira shrieked, clinging to her mother desperately. Farbauti stared at the last place her son had been with void eyes. 

The battle paused, all eyes turning to Bucky. 

He heaved a breath, his body shaking. Slowly, like the rising of a bloody sun, Bucky raised his head. Crimson eyes surrounded by black sky dawned in his face. And earth-shattering roar ripped from him.

That was the one real difference between the Winter Soldier and Bucky Barnes, the emotion. The raging temper, the cool days of calm, the rare bouts of laughter, and the pride and honor he carried. Those were Bucky’s alone, the Winter Soldier didn’t feel those things. That’s what he’d learned in Wakanda. 

While emotion can skew the mind, cause the hands to shake, the blood to boil, it can also fuel the fire that burns down everything in its path. Bucky wasn’t sure exactly what happened next, but he was battling in his mind. The Soldier part fought him, trying to regain composure, knowing it could win with it’s cool calculation. The other part lost it, and the Reality Stone took over. 

Looking back, Bucky vaguely remembered certain parts of the fight. The moment when he dropped his gun, and switched to solely using the Reality Stone. Mordo’s mighty scream as Strange won and took the Time Stone back. The primal roar that ripped from Farbauti’s throat as she threw Ihedell backwards into the wall, and the lead Eternal didn’t rise again. But most of all, he remembered the looks on his teammates faces as he battled Kaiscion; fear, terror, anguish, and a twinge of what was almost disgust. Not quite, but almost. 

But then there was a flash of green light, followed by a second, smaller flash. And Loki was back, as simple as that. The Time Stone, like it had been used by Thanos to revive Vision, had been used by Strange to reverse time and save Loki. 

The rest of the battle is only remembered in colors, smells, flashes of light, the tearing of wounds, and splatter of blood in unearthly colors. When asked to later describe it, there would be no words, only pained looks. 

It took one final hit, one combined attack of all the Infinity Stones, the colors of light ricocheting around the room, and Kaiscion disappeared in an explosion of bloody light. 

The explosion was hot and fiery, like a bomb had gone off. Or they’d been hit by a ray of pure starlight. The stronger beings did their best to shield the others. Bucky braced himself as Loki morphed back into his Jotunn form, acting like a wall to partially block Bucky from the blast. 

The room fell deathly silent. He was gone.

Bucky took a shuddering breath, his forehead and nose pressed between Loki’s shoulder blades. He was burning, everything was burning. Bucky slowly looked down at his metal arm; his hand was still clamped on Loki’s shoulder. 

The vibranium glowed molten hot. Bucky wrenched his hand off Loki’s shoulder as he realized his metal arm had been superheated. Bucky’s arm was burning, no, his shoulder was burning, everything was burning. Bucky’s arm was melting, and his shoulder and back were burning with it. Bucky let out a blood curdling scream, his free hand jumping to his collarbone. 

Loki whirled around, stumbling as he stared at Bucky in horror. Loki was in even worse shape. He had released his Aesir form but even his Jotun form couldn’t withstand a blast like that, he was stuck somewhere in between the two. His skin was nearly gray, and cracking; his horns were cracked and the left one looked like the top half was about to break off. His arms, legs, and torso were covered in blisters and burns. 

Loki grabbed Bucky’s hand and shoulder with one hand and with the other clamped down on Bucky’s melting arm. Loki roared furiously in pain, but cast a frost over the connection and ripped the arm off in one swift motion. Bucky gasped, his eyes falling shut as he rocked on his feet. Loki cast a cooling spell and watched tiredly as a small wave of frost covered the metal dock for Bucky’s arm. 

Peter slumped against the wall, slowly sliding to the floor. Shuri dropped to the floor beside him, breathing heavily as she leaned back against the wall. Strange sighed and brushed his hair out of his face; he tiredly made his way over to the two teens. Strange pulled a bag from his pocket dimension and tossed it to Shuri. She caught it and nodded in thanks.

 

Wanda dropped to the ground beside Gamora. Gamora hissed as she attempted to flex her ankle. "Great" she sighed, "My ankle is definitely broken.”

Carol dragged herself back to her feet, "We all have injuries, thankfully there should be a med bay aboard the ship" Carol headed over where Farbauti was cradling Eira in her arms. 

 

Meanwhile, Bucky and Loki were having the staredown of a lifetime. 

 

Loki fidgeted nervously as Bucky's eyes bore into him, cutting like a knife. Loki reached for Bucky's hand, only to pause as his fingers hovered a mere inch away. Loki looked at Bucky almost fearfully. "James?" he asked quietly.

 

Bucky's face crumbled into a look of extreme exhaustion and sadness. Bucky grimaced, squeezing his eyes shut and ducking his head. Bucky shuddered and let out a muffled sob, hand flying to cover his mouth. 

 

Loki felt his eyes burn, "Oh no James, please don't" he reached up and grabbed Bucky's hand. He gently pried Bucky's hand from his mouth.

 

Loki carefully pulled Bucky into a loose hug, careful not to grip him too tightly for fear of hurting his shoulder. Loki buried his face in Bucky's mane and whispered softly, "I'm sorry." 

 

Bucky grabbed Loki around the waist and squeezed him as tight as he could with one arm. Loki could feel Bucky shaking, fingers pulling at the back of Loki's jacket desperately. Loki gently carded his hand through Bucky's hair "Breath, I'm right here."

 

Loki sighed into Bucky's hair, trying to accept the fact that he definitely had made a trying decision in befriending Bucky, and that Loki's affection for the soldier was probably going to get him in serious trouble. For once, Loki didn't really care. He had made a friend, a good one, all on his own. One who understood Loki a hundred times more than he understood himself. And that also meant he’d beat Brunnhilde’s bet that he could never make a friend on Earth, so screw her. 

 

Bucky sighed and slowly pulled away from Loki, remaining hand falling back onto Loki’s shoulder. Bucky took a slow breath before muttering to himself “Good God, who the fuck decided that I should be friends with the biggest dumbasses in this universe.”

Loki let out a crackling laugh, “I’m not sure, but I’m glad to be one of the biggest dumbasses in the universe if I means I get to be friends with you.”

Bucky offered him a weak smile and clapped his hand against Loki’s face a little too hard, Loki grimaced. “Me too” Bucky chuckled. 

“While this moment is touching-” Dr. Strange interjected, “You both need immediate medical treatment.” 

Bucky shuddered, feeling himself breaking into a cold sweat. Loki nodded numbly as Gamora limped forward with Wanda’s help. “We’re all too weak to try and teleport anywhere but my ship may still be parked outside, we’ll all fit.” Gamora sighed.

Loki sighed sadly, “I can’t believe the Sleipnir was destroyed.”

Bucky rolled his eyes, “Loki, that was literal days ago, get over it.” 

Strange rolled his eyes but nodded, “Then let’s go with that” He turned back and looked at the teens slumped against the wall. He motioned for them to follow “Let’s go you two.”

Peter groaned and slumped farther against the wall; Shuri huffed and slowly dragged herself off the floor. “God, when Tony sees me this time I may just be grounded for the rest of my life,” Peter groaned.

Wanda laughed dryly, “Oh I think we’re all going to be grounded after this stunt.”

Loki laughed dryly as Strange looped an arm around his waist to support him, “Oh, I’ll be lucky if Rogers doesn’t skin me, as if I wasn’t already on his bad side.”

“Yep,” Bucky yawned as Carol moved to support him, “He’s going to flay you.”

A loud rumbling noise stopped them all in their tracks. They all stopped and watched at the Ihedell pulled herself from underneath the collapsed wall. The Eternal was in less than stellar shape, golden blood pouring from large cracks in her skin. Her headpiece was broken and a section was hanging on by only a thread. She glared at them angrily as she dragged herself from the rubble. 

“Where do you think you are going?” Ihdell’s voice echoed throughout the room.

She raised a hand, pointed directly and Loki and Bucky, “I cannot allow you to leave here with those stones.” Her entire formed flashed a bright gold and the light was channeled down to her fingertips. 

The group surged back, many of them stumbling due to injuries that had yet to heal. Peter fell backwards and landed on his back, he was only there for a split second before he scittered backwards. 

“Wait!” Strange yelled frantically, “This has to stop! Isn’t there some sort of an ultimatum we can come to? One that doesn’t involve us all dying?”

Ihedell rose to her knee, then to her feet, porcelain skin cracked and bloodied. Her eyes glimmered dangerously, “An ultimatum? Perhaps….. but you must understand that we cannot allow a group of mortals to keep the stones.”

“Then a compromise,” Strange nodded slightly, “A bargain. The Stones should never all be together, like you said. The Eternals keep three, and the other three are allowed to stay out in the universe. Perfectly balanced.”

“Which would you propose to go where?” Ihedell examined him with harsh eyes. 

Strange thought silently for a moment, “The Mind, Reality, and Space stones stay out in the universe.”

Ihedell’s eyes narrowed, “You don’t wish to keep the Time Stone?”

 

Strange took a deep breath, “No, I no longer need it. Besides, that is one of the most dangerous of the Stones when in the wrong hands.”

Ihedell let out a series of repeating clinking noises that could almost be described as a laugh, “And yet you ask to allow the Reality Stone back out? Every stone holds immense power, none less than the others.” 

Strange set his jaw, carefully analyzing his situation, “Then let me rephrase my statement.”

“The Eternals of the Reality and Mind stones just proved their inability to not use the stones for their personal use. Which is why they are now dead. It seems unwise to give the stones to you, even if just until the other Eternals arrive to retrieve them. As for the Space Stone, Farbauti shows no interest in keeping it, I believe her son would be a wise guardian for it.” Strange glanced back at Loki, “Though he has made mistakes, he has also proven that he no longer has a wish to use it for his own gain.”

Ihedell examined Strange harshly for a long moment, then Loki as well. Her eyes fell on Bucky and narrowed, “Do you really believe that this mortal will be able to protect the Reality Stone?! He can barely wield a fraction of its power!”

“I know,” Strange held up his hands defensively, “But he is more than just mortal. And besides that, he has incredibly close ties with the Avengers, should the time come they will help protect both him and the Reality Stone.”

Farbauti stepped forward, “Ihedell, we all know the ability of the Avengers, we have no reason to doubt the safety of the Reality Stone if it is with them. Let them go.”

The two Eternals had a silent showdown, eyes locked in a furious battle. Ihedell eventually sighed, “If you so believe Farbauti, then you will be responsible should anything happen. Leave here, all of you.”

Without another word she turned on her heel and faded into golden dust. The room was silent for a moment. 

Farbauti sighed and turned back to the Avengers, “Do not make me regret that promise. You should leave, now, before she changes her mind.”

The group slowly shuffled from the room. Only Loki remained behind, with Strange supporting him. Farbauti knelt before her son, her daughter held in her arms. Strange stepped back, allowing them some privacy. 

“We have not enough time now, our conversation will have to wait,” Farbauti’s eyes sparkled like the night sky as she looked down to Loki, “I am taking your sister back to Jotunheim, when you are ready, we will be there, waiting.” She offered him a small smile, “Good luck, my son.”

With a flash of blue lights, and a whooshing of dust. Both Farbauti and Eira were gone from sight. 

Strange reluctantly took Loki’s weight again and began helping him out the doors. Loki sniffed angrily, “Don’t expect me to be eternally grateful for this.” Strange rolled his eyes and Loki sighed, “But thank you.”

Strange’s eyes widened slightly and the ghost of a smile drifted onto his face. Strange half-chuckled, “You’re welcome.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By far the shortest chapter in the work so far, but it needed to be a stand alone. That being said, the final chapter is already finished and will be published most likely on Sunday, the 24th. I am amazed that I have been able to complete this and want to thank you all for making it this far too! 
> 
> I'm sorry, is it really a Marvel story if Loki doesn't die ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯. (Also, I know Bucky's KNIFE comment isn't really in character, but he was channeling me in every single movie that Loki's in)
> 
> If you enjoyed this: like, subscribe, bookmark, even leave me a comment! I'm still learning how to use this platform but appreciate all the feedback I get from you guys!


	9. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter. Let's go on home!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is it, the final chapter. I am amazed that I've made it this far, that I've even managed to finish a fanfiction of this length. So I just want to take a moment to thank all of you for reading, for all the kudos and comments, you have no idea just how good it feels to know that at least a few people enjoyed my self-indulgent story. The story isn't completely over, I am going to continue writing the one shots, and may later decide to do another full length fic in the series, but until then, I hope you all enjoy, and I wish you all the best!

The room fell deathly silent. He was gone.

Bucky took a shuddering breath, his forehead and nose pressed between Loki’s shoulder blades. He was burning, everything was burning. Bucky slowly looked down at his metal arm; his hand was still clamped on Loki’s shoulder. 

The vibranium glowed molten hot. Bucky wrenched his hand off Loki’s shoulder as he realized his metal arm had been superheated. Bucky’s arm was burning, no, his shoulder was burning, everything was burning. Bucky’s arm was melting, and his shoulder and back were burning with it. Bucky let out a blood curdling scream, his free hand jumping to his collarbone. 

Loki whirled around, stumbling as he stared at Bucky in horror. Loki was in even worse shape. He had released his Aesir form but even his Jotun form couldn’t withstand a blast like that, he was stuck somewhere in between the two. His skin was nearly gray, and cracking; his horns were cracked and the left one looked like the top half was about to break off. His arms, legs, and torso were covered in blisters and burns. 

Loki grabbed Bucky’s hand and shoulder with one hand and with the other clamped down on Bucky’s melting arm. Loki roared furiously in pain, but cast a frost over the connection and ripped the arm off in one swift motion. Bucky gasped, his eyes falling shut as he rocked on his feet. Loki cast a cooling spell and watched tiredly as a small wave of frost covered the metal dock for Bucky’s arm. 

Peter slumped against the wall, slowly sliding to the floor. Shuri dropped to the floor beside him, breathing heavily as she leaned back against the wall. Strange sighed and brushed his hair out of his face; he tiredly made his way over to the two teens. Strange pulled a bag from his pocket dimension and tossed it to Shuri. She caught it and nodded in thanks.

 

Wanda dropped to the ground beside Gamora. Gamora hissed as she attempted to flex her ankle. "Great" she sighed, "My ankle is definitely broken.”

Carol dragged herself back to her feet, "We can fix it when we get back to Earth" Carol headed over where Farbauti was cradling Eira in her arms. 

 

Meanwhile, Bucky and Loki were having the staredown of a lifetime. 

 

Loki fidgeted nervously as Bucky's eyes bore into him, cutting like a knife. Loki reached for Bucky's hand, only to pause as his fingers hovered a mere inch away. Loki looked at Bucky almost fearfully. "James?" he asked quietly.

 

Bucky's face crumbled into a look of extreme exhaustion and sadness. Bucky grimaced, squeezing his eyes shut and ducking his head. Bucky shuddered and let out a muffled sob, hand flying to cover his mouth. 

 

Loki felt his eyes burn, "Oh no James, please don't" he reached up and grabbed Bucky's hand. He gently pried Bucky's hand from his mouth.

 

Loki carefully pulled Bucky into a loose hug, careful not to grip him too tightly for fear of hurting his shoulder. Loki buried his face in Bucky's mane and whispered softly, "I'm sorry." 

 

Bucky grabbed Loki around the waist and squeezed him as tight as he could with one arm. Loki could feel Bucky shaking, fingers pulling at the back of Loki's jacket desperately. Loki gently carded his hand through Bucky's hair "Breath, I'm right here."

 

Loki sighed into Bucky's hair, trying to accept the fact that he definitely had made a trying decision in befriending Bucky, and that Loki's affection for the soldier was probably going to get him in serious trouble. For once, Loki didn't really care. He had made a friend, a good one, all on his own. One who understood Loki a hundred times more than he understood himself. And that also meant he’d beat Brunnhilde’s bet that he could never make a friend on Earth, so screw her. 

 

Bucky sighed and slowly pulled away from Loki, remaining hand falling back onto Loki’s shoulder. Bucky took a slow breath before muttering to himself “Good God, who the fuck decided that I should be friends with the biggest dumbasses in this universe.”

Loki let out a crackling laugh, “I’m not sure, but I’m glad to be one of the biggest dumbasses in the universe if I means I get to be friends with you.”

Bucky offered him a weak smile and clapped his hand against Loki’s face a little too hard, Loki grimaced. “Me too” Bucky chuckled. 

“While this moment is touching” Dr. Strange interjected, “You both need immediate medical treatment.” 

Bucky shuddered, feeling himself breaking into a cold sweat. Loki nodded numbly as Gamora limped forward with Wanda’s help. “We’re all too weak to try and teleport anywhere but my ship may still be parked outside, we’ll all fit” Gamora sighed.

Loki sighed sadly, “I can’t believe the Sleipnir was destroyed.”

Bucky rolled his eyes, “Loki, that was literal days ago, get over it.” 

Strange rolled his eyes but nodded, “Then let’s go with that” He turned back and looked at the teens slumped against the wall. He motioned for them to follow “Let’s go you two.”

Peter groaned and slumped farther against the wall; Shuri huffed and slowly dragged herself off the floor. “God, when Tony sees me this time I may just be grounded for the rest of my life” Peter groaned.

Wanda laughed dryly, “Oh I think we’re all going to be grounded after this stunt.”

Loki laughed dryly as Strange looped an arm around his waist to support him, “Oh, I’ll be lucky if Rogers doesn’t skin me, as if I wasn’t already on his bad side.”

“Yep” Bucky yawned as Carol moved to support him, “He’s going to flay you.”

A loud rumbling noise stopped them all in their tracks. They all stopped and watched at the Ihedell pulled herself from underneath the collapsed wall. The Eternal was in less than stellar shape, golden blood pouring from large cracks in her skin. Her headpiece was broken and a section was hanging on by only a thread. She glared at them angrily as she dragged herself from the rubble. 

“Where do you think you are going?” Ihdell’s voice echoed throughout the room.

She raised a hand, pointed directly and Loki and Bucky, “I cannot allow you to leave here with those stones.” Her entire formed flashed a bright gold and the light was channeled down to her fingertips. 

The group surged back, many of them stumbling due to injuries that had yet to heal. Peter fell backwards and landed on his back, he was only there for a split second before he scittered backwards. 

“Wait!” Strange yelled frantically, “This has to stop! Isn’t there some sort of an ultimatum we can come to? One that doesn’t involve us all dying?”

Ihedell rose to her knee, then to her feet, porcelain skin cracked and bloodied. Her eyes glimmered dangerously, “An ultimatum? Perhaps….. but you must understand that we cannot allow a group of mortals to keep the stones.”

“Then a compromise” Strange nodded slightly, “A bargain. The Stones should never all be together, like you said. The Eternals keep three, and the other three are allowed to stay out in the universe. Perfectly balanced.”

“Which would you propose to go where?” Ihedell examined him with harsh eyes. 

Strange thought silently for a moment, “The Mind, Reality, and Space stones stay out in the universe”

Ihedell’s eyes narrowed “You don’t wish to keep the Time Stone?”

 

Strange took a deep breath, “No, I no longer need it. Besides, that is one of the most dangerous of the Stones when in the wrong hands.”

Ihedell let out a series of repeating clinking noises that could almost be described as a laugh, “And yet you ask to allow the Reality Stone back out? Every stone holds immense power, none less than the others.” 

Strange set his jaw, carefully analyzing his situation, “Then let me rephrase my statement.”

“The Eternals of the Reality and Mind stones just proved their inability to not use the stones for their personal use. It seems unwise to give the stones to them, even if just until the other Eternals arrive to retrieve them. As for the Space Stone, Farbauti shows no interest in keeping it, I believe her son would be a wise guardian for it” Strange glanced back at Loki, “Though he has made mistakes, he has also proven that he no longer has a wish to use it for his own gain.”

Ihedell examined Strange harshly for a long moment, then Loki as well. Her eyes fell on Bucky and narrowed, “Do you really believe that this mortal will be able to protect the Reality Stone?! He can barely wield a fraction of its power!”

“I know” Strange held up his hands defensively, “But he is more than just mortal. And besides that, he has incredibly close ties with the Avengers, should the time come they will help protect both him and the Reality Stone.”

Farbauti stepped forward, “Ihedell, we all know the ability of the Avengers, we have no reason to doubt the safety of the Reality Stone if it is with them. Let them go.”

The two Eternals had a silent showdown, eyes locked in a furious battle. Ihedell eventually sighed, “If you so believe Farbauti, then you will be responsible should anything happen. Leave here, all of you.”

Without another word she turned on her heel and faded into golden dust. The room was silent for a moment. 

Farbauti sighed and turned back to the Avengers, “Do not make me regret that promise. You should leave, now, before she changes her mind.”

The group slowly shuffled from the room. Only Loki remained behind, with Strange supporting him. Farbauti knelt before her son, her daughter held in her arms. Strange stepped back, allowing them some privacy. 

“We have not enough time now, our conversation will have to wait” Farbauti’s eyes sparkled like the night sky as she looked down to Loki, “I am taking your sister back to Jotunheim, when you are ready, we will be there, waiting.” She offered him a small smile “Good luck, my son.”

With a flash of blue lights, and a whooshing of dust. Both Farbauti and Eira were gone from sight. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bucky winced as Wanda applied the patching solution to his leg wound, slightly jarring the recently reset bone. “Sorry” Wanda sighed tiredly, placing the canister back into the medicine “cabinet”.

Bucky shook his head, hair dragging on the table around him, “I’m fine, my bone is just taking longer to heal than normal.”

Dr. Strange huffed, his cloak swishing behind him as he watched Shuri apply grafting to the worst of the burns on Loki’s skin. Bucky could practically feel Strange’s frustration at not being able to do it himself, but Shuri was by far the most capable to handle it besides Strange. Bucky glanced at Loki; the Jotunn was seemingly asleep, but Bucky could tell by the occasional twitch of his lip and the pace of his breathing that he was merely faking to avoid any more questions. 

Bucky sighed as Wanda pulled a long bandage wrap of some sort from the cabinet and turned back to Bucky “You ready to let me wrap your shoulder? Shuri doesn’t want to leave it open since it wasn’t a clean break in the metal.”

Bucky nodded stiffly, “Yeah, just be careful, my skin around the attachment point is going to take a while to heal.”

Wanda nodded with a dry laugh, “I’m sure, and besides, the need for bandages is enough of a warning.” Bucky slowly shifted onto his side, breathing heavily as pain shot through his body. Wanda carefully began wrapping the broken stump of Bucky’s metal arm.

Loki shifted and a grimace passed across his face as Shuri finished grafting the final piece of skin onto his leg. Bucky’s fingers twitched, and he carefully shifted so he could grab Loki’s hand. Bucky’s finger glanced the back of Loki’s hand and the Jotun shifted, his eyes sliding open just enough for him to eye Bucky. Bucky offered a tired smile; Loki’s lip twitched and he took Bucky’s hand, holding it tight enough that Bucky’s arm could remain suspend over the gap between their beds. 

Loki sighed tiredly and a soft whisper echoed in the back of Bucky’s mind “We’ll be home soon enough” Bucky nodded tiredly and as Wanda finished bandaging his shoulder he let himself drift off into sleep. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shuri let out a swear under her breath as she looked out the window of Gamora’s ship. Carol hissed, “Yeah, we’re in trouble.”

Peter rose from his seat, “What’s up?” he croaked tiredly, rubbing his temple with the heel of his palm.

Shuri shot him a fearful look “The Avengers are waiting for us. All of them.” Her words were true. The main Avengers, plus the Guardians and the newer additions to the group like Sam and Vision were all waiting on the Tarmac. It looked like Clint and Scott were missing the party once again though. 

Peter paled, “Oh shit.”

Carol glanced back at him, “You might want to go warn Strange and the others that we’ve arrived and what is waiting for us.”

Peter nodded, “Yeah, I’m sure Buck and Loki will want to know.” He jumped down to the hold and disappeared around the corner and into the med bay. 

Shuri sighed and turned back to Gamora, “Gamora, you wouldn’t mind going out first would you? It might help ease some tensions if they see you and your family be reunited first. Make them think of the good to come from this situation.”

Gamora smirked softly. “Alright, besides-” she sighed, “I can’t wait to go see my boys. I’m sure Groot will be glad to see me.”

Carol laughed, “I’m sure Quill will be just as happy.”

Gamora smiled to herself, “Oh I know he will be.” 

They fell silent as the ship touched down on the tarmac. Wanda climbed into the cockpit, eyes trailing through the window to those waiting outside. She remained crouched, looking just over the edge of the window. Carol glanced at her and her face softened sympathetically, “It’s gonna be okay, Wanda, you’re not the one who’s going to receive the ass-kicking, you were just trying to help.” 

Wanda’s eyes flicked to Gamora momentarily, “But I left. Without warning and I was injured on top of that. I can’t imagine how much I worried them.”

Shuri sighed and patted Wanda on the back, “Gamora’s right. No one is going to blame you for answering a rescue call. While Peter and I might be in trouble for running with you, it’s not your fault. Everything will be blamed on the broken white men.”

Gamora bit back a snort as she rose from her seat. Carol carefully switched off the last controls and followed Gamora as she reached the ladder and slid down in one fluid movement. Carol floated down after her, sending a knowing look to Shuri and Wanda on her way. 

Shuri pushed herself to her feet with a groan and offered Wanda a hand, “Come on, let’s go see.”

Wanda took Shuri’s hand and let herself be pulled to her feet. Wanda sighed and dropped back down the ladder chute. Shuri shook her head and began the climb down.

Peter met them at the bottom of the ladder, fidgeting nervously as he listened to the door to the ship whir open. Wanda nodded supportingly as Strange walked out of the med bay. He cleared his throat awkwardly and motioned for them to lead on. Shuri turned on her heel and lead the group down the hallway after Carol and Gamora.

“Where are Loki and Bucky?” Shuri’s voice wavered slightly as they entered the cargo bay. 

“On their way” Strange replied dully, “They were taking their time getting out of bed, I figured we might go ahead and ease the blow.” 

Shuri almost laughed, “Just as Gamora is doing for us.” They each took a deep breath and walked (or limped in Peter’s case) down the ramp and onto the tarmac. 

Walking out in front of the Avengers that day was just as terrifying for Peter as his first encounter with the Guardians, when Quill had almost blown his head off. His eyes fell right on Tony, who was decked out in the full nanotech suit, arms crossed, a mighty scowl on his face. Peter’s stomach jumped right into his throat and he almost turned on his heel and ran back inside the ship. Shuri caught him by the arm, a silent threat for if he dared leave her alone. Her own overprotective guardian of a brother was only a few people away from Tony, hands folded behind his back, his face stone cold. 

Wanda was met with several relieved looks from Steve, Sam, Natasha, and Clint, and a blinding smile from Vision. Wanda’s fear melted away instantly and she smiled at her partner. Wanda glanced sideways and her smile grew as she saw Gamora trapped in the middle of a Guardians dogpile. Wanda noticed that the others had stopped but she met Vision in the middle and was more than happy to be back in his (somewhat) warm embrace. 

Strange smirked tiredly and stepped aside to join Carol. Tony’s sharp bark interrupted the warmth emitting from the reunions, “I’m sorry to interrupt all the sappy reunions happening right now, but does anyone fucking feel like explaining what the hell is going on?”

Steve stepped forward impatiently, “And does anyone feel like telling me where my-” he stumbled over his words and the returning group shared a communal thought, understanding what Bucky had mentioned in their free time about Steve’s commitment issues “-where Bucky is?”

“And my brother as well” Thor growled gruffly, looming beside Steve.

Their question by a yelp and loud thud from inside the cargo bay. It was reaffirmed by Bucky sighing, “Jesus Christ Loki, are you fucking kidding me?” 

Peter and Shuri looked over their shoulders and back into the cargo bay. Peter inhaled sharply, “Oh god, are you okay?” 

Loki had seemingly slipped on the one patch Gamora had warned them about and fallen back right into the corner of a box. He was currently laying on his side, hand braced against the side of his head. 

Bucky was standing to his side watching with an exasperated look on his face, “I’d offer to help you up but you know, I can’t.”

Loki let out a strangled laugh, “Fine, leave me here to die then.”

Peter went to help but one step on his bad leg and he was painfully reminded of his broken hip and leg by the pain that shot through them. He hissed and stopped in his tracks. Shuri shook her head, “I’ll help.” She bounded back up the ramp.

Strange growled, “Really? I swear if I have to patch you up again... I’m just going to leave you as is and let your godly healing work its magic.”

Peter shot him a glare; Strange didn’t back down. Tony and Steve both moved towards the ship, Tony looking noticeably less angry and more concerned than before. Carol sighed and turned to the main group of Avengers, “We apologize for the fear we might have caused, but the situation has been resolved and there is no need for the communal gathering we have here.”

No one moved. Sam shrugged, “Sorry Danvers, no can do. We do actually care about our teammates.”

Wanda sharp glare fell on him, “Not all of them though, am I right?” she muttered just loud enough for most of the Avengers to hear. 

That comment earned her shocked looks from quite a few people, and a mildly surprised one from Natasha. Wanda tried to bite back a second comment that was on the tip of her tongue. Vision rested a hand on her lower back, his worried gaze meeting her own. 

All attention turned back to the ship as Bucky stepped out onto the tarmac, followed shortly by Shuri and Loki. Real shock rolled through the Avengers. Bucky and Loki looked like absolute shit. Strange and the others had done their best to treat the pair’s wounds, but without proper medical supplies they looked more like patchwork mummies than anything. 

Bucky looked like more of a disaster than ever. His metal arm had been chopped off at the shoulder once again and was wrapped to avoid and accidental injuries. His body was littered with different bandages and wraps from various other wounds. And although it was barely visible, there was a healing scar across his left eye that almost explained the hidden cloud in his pupil. Bucky’s left eye was moving a little slower than normal; he didn’t want to admit it though. 

Loki really looked like a mummy, wrapped nearly head-to-toe in bandages. Most were just protective, assuring that he wouldn’t accidentally rip off the newly grafted pieces of skin. He’d managed to regain his Aesir form, which had only slowed the healing process as he was forced to focus his magic elsewhere, so he no longer loomed over the others. However, Loki could feel an ache in his bones and skin that alerted him he would not be able to hide his form much longer. 

Shuri kept her arm linked with Loki’s until he made it to the bottom of the ramp and onto sturdy ground. Loki continued to press the heel of his palm against his eye, which was aching due to the blooming headache he could feel coming on. Bucky stiffly limped down the ramp beside them, eyes flicking first to the sky, then to gathered group, and finally landing on Steve. Bucky paused on the edge of the ramp, eyes focused on his partner.

Steve was staring at him in blatant horror, hands twitching at his sides. Bucky suddenly felt extremely self-conscious and shrank in on himself. Tony paused his examination of Peter and stared at them with a twinge of horror himself, “Who put you two through the meat grinder?” 

T’Challa nudged Bruce, “Would you go warn the medical crew that we’ll be needing their assistance?” he whispered quietly.

Bruce nodded, barely prying his eyes off Loki. Bruce turned and headed back into the building, Sam turning and joining him on the way. Bruce gave Sam an appreciative nod as the two disappeared inside the building. Strange sighed and summoned a portal to the medical wing, he looked at Carol pointedly and she nodded. They were gone in a flash of light as well. Wanda and Vision exchanged a look, Vision ran a hand through Wanda’s hair and she sighed. They joined the others filing off the tarmac. 

Quill shifted uncomfortably, “We’ll uh, leave you guys alone.” 

The other Guardians muttered responses as well. Gamora paused for a second and met Loki’s gaze. She nodded, a sign of respect and support. Loki nodded back; Gamora turned on her heel and followed her crew back to their ship. Those who remained watched them in silence. 

Thor very slowly marched over to his brother, T’Challa by his side. The tarmac was extremely silent for a few long seconds before Loki sighed. When he spoke his voice was rough and short, “It is an incredibly long story.”

T’Challa stopped before his sister, eyes leering at her, “Then it is a good thing we have time for one.”

Shuri kept her gaze fixated on her brother’s collar bone, openly showing her nervousness in rarity. Peter leaned against Tony’s arm, trying to keep his weight off his bad leg, “Uh, neither Shuri and I know the entire thing. And I’d really like to get off my leg.” 

Tony glared down at him, “Fine, but don’t think you’re off the hook”. Peter yelped as Tony scooped Peter off his feet and took off towards the medical wing.

T’Challa turned on his heel and waited for Shuri to move beside him before beginning his silent march back to the compound. He only waited until barely out of earshot to speak, “You are grounded, forever.” Shuri groaned and sagged into her shoes.

The remaining four stood in silence for a moment. Thor shook his head, “Brother of mine, what have you done this time?” he growled.

Loki gritted his teeth, “Brother, for once I promise you this was not my fault.”

Steve’s burning glare turned on Loki, “Really? You’re not at fault for dragging a whole group of Avengers into harm’s path?! Do you think we’re stupid?”

“Steve!” Bucky snapped, a dim light burning in the back oh his eyes “He’s telling the truth.”

The look on Steve’s face twisted into something furious, “What did I ask you to do while I was gone? What was the one thing I asked you to avoid? Loki.” He spat. “Did you listen to me? No! And look what happened!”

“Jesus Christ, Steve! You say that like I'm not capable of judging people for myself!” Bucky growled. Steve opened his mouth to snap back but was cut off when Thor placed a hand on his shoulder. 

Thor stepped between Bucky and Steve “Enough! You should not be fighting now”

Loki grabbed Thor by the arm and pulled him back, shaking his head “Let them handle this on their own brother, there are things that need to be said”

Thor stared at Loki, trying in vain to asses his brother. Loki simply shook his head again and stepped back. Thor sighed and followed suit, wrapping and arm around Loki’s shoulder to help support him. The brothers moved away from the ship and back towards the main building. Loki cast a final glance back to Bucky, who steeled his eyes in response.

Bucky looked back to Steve, “Steve, you’ve done enough.” He lowered his tone to be as neutral as possible, “I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. If anyone has the right to want to protect me so fiercely it would be my family, or my partner” he growled, “Seeing as you are neither I don’t think you get to.”

Steve recoiled in shock; silence fell between them for a moment. “What?” Steve asked blankly. 

Bucky glared at Steve, eyes wavering, “You are not my blood Steve, and you are not my husband, or partner, or anything of that sort.” Bucky’s lip curled “Stop acting like you get to control me.”

Steve suddenly realized what Bucky was talking about and inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself, “Buck listen, I know-”

Bucky shook his head “No, Steve. I’m done waiting” His eyes narrowed dangerously “You told me that after this was over we were going to settle down and be done with all of this! You said you were going to stay! With me! But you haven’t! You haven’t given up anything.”

Steve met Bucky’s gaze, “Is that why you did this?” Steve shuddered and drooped, looking so much more exhausted than before. “You- you directly went against what I asked you and put yourself in danger-”

“Steve, no.”

Steve’s eyes grew bright with fury, “Are you trying to force me to quit?! Did you think that you nearly dying would convince me to do that?!” Steve demanded.

“No!” Bucky yelled in frustration, “God Steve! This situation has nothing to do with that!”

“But that’s what you’re making it seem like!” Steve let out a fake laugh, “It feels like you’re pushing me away because you know I’ll just come right back!”

Bucky let out a frustrated scream and slammed his foot down, “No! Steve, do you even know me!”

“I don’t know!” Steve yelled. Bucky grew silent and Steve continued, “I feel like ever since we met again in Wakanda you’ve become a completely different person! You changed!”

Bucky threw down his jacket, “Because that’s a part of life Steve!” He took a deep breath and they stared at each other for a moment before Bucky continued, “Change is a part of life. Yes, I’ve changed since I went to Wakanda. That’s because I’m finally rediscovering myself, and figuring out who I am now. And I know I’m not the same, how could I be the same? Who do you want me to be Steve?”

Bucky sighed heavily and dropped his arm to his side. “Do you want me to be James Buchanan Barnes from Brooklyn with a cocky smile and astounding charm? You want me to be the fucking Winter Soldier?” Steve flinched, “Or the man I became after? Who had no idea who or what he was? Who are you looking for in me?”

Steve looked torn, and broken, and just lost. His blue eyes were wide as he closed the gap between he and Bucky. “I don’t know” Steve whispered quietly “I just want you with me”

They were both silent for a long time, eyes focused on each other. Bucky sighed and cupped Steve's jaw in his palm, stormy blue eyes soft “Then be with me Steve. Really be with me. No more fake cover stories for the press, no more trying to hide it from the others” Bucky laughed sadly “They all know anyway, what's the point”

Silence fell between them for a long moment. Steve’s face was dark as he stared through Bucky “That’s enough for right now. We can talk about this later. You need to go to the infirmary.” 

Bucky fought down a frustrated scream. Steve offered his arm to support Bucky; Bucky limped right past him, not even glancing at his partner.  
\--------------------------------------------------

 

Explaining the entire story to the rest of the Avengers was a long and painful process for those that had just returned. Carol and Strange did their bests to carry as much of the story as they could, but Loki and Bucky were the ones who knew the most of what was needed, and they didn’t get to rest. The med bay was thick with tension by the time Loki finished his version of the story, and it seemed as though no one had been appeased by the tale. It would take time for everything to settle down again.

The room cleared, the Avengers slowly trickling out. Peter had fallen asleep partway through the story, and Wanda was asleep not long after him. Shuri was propped up in one of the beds, but had chosen to have her section closed off so she could call her mother without disturbing the others. Steve whispered a few words to Bucky before pressing a kiss to his partner’s forehead and exiting the room. 

Loki sighed and stretched, wincing as his body screamed at him. His body was healing slightly faster than normal, the Space Stone helping it along. Yet it was also the reason he was taking so long to heal, while it was boosting his healing, his body was still extremely drained from using the stone as much as he had. But Loki was lucky, he wasn’t mortal.

Loki had a feeling Bucky was going to be out of it much longer than he would be. Loki had been watching Bucky from the corner of his eye as the story was told, and was slightly worried by the way the life and energy slowly drained from his friend. 

Loki glanced over at Bucky’s bed and could tell by the slowly softening set of Bucky’s jaw that he was not yet asleep, but was getting there. 

“Bucky” Loki spoke directly into his mind.

Bucky stiffened slightly, but his eyes remained shut “What, Loki?”

“Thank you, for everything.”

Bucky was silent for a long moment, “Yeah well, you needed help, and as much as I hate to admit it, being around a bunch of heroes has seemed to rub off on me.”

Loki chuckled, “No, I think you’ve always been like that.”

Bucky huffed tiredly, but didn’t respond. Loki sighed, “Goodnight James. We’ll see you on the other side.”

Within minutes both had drifted off into a well earned, deep sleep. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The Compound- 2 Days Later

Thor remained silent the entire way to the infirmary, and as Dr. Cho was checking that Loki’s wounds were healing properly, and even through the time it took to get Loki back to the room he’d been staying. The silence was deafening, and every second of it, of the blank look on his brother’s face, the passive body language, it all made Loki’s skin crawl. By the time they reached the guest room Loki was ready to scream. But he swallowed it as he entered the password with shaking hands, feeling Thor’s eyes on him the entire time. 

Loki limped into the room, and was amazed to see that it had been left exactly as he’d left it weeks earlier. There were books scattered across the floor and bed, old rolls of parchment covered in scribblings of various languages littering the table where he’d thrown together a makeshift alchemy lab so he could work at night when the real lab was closed. The face masks and skin care products Shuri had flown to the compound for him were set neatly on his nightstand. For once in many years, Loki’s room looked like someone actually lived in it.

Despite the warm temperature of the room, Loki felt extremely cold. Loki folded his arms against his chest and hugged himself tightly as he settled into the desk chair with stiff limbs. Thor slowly drifted over to Loki’s bed and sat down on the edge of it, mismatched eyes glimmering with a look Loki couldn’t quite name. The silence fell around them like a thick blanket.

Loki swallowed and let his eyes trail down to the scar on his left arm, as though his could see through his sleeves. Loki couldn’t see it, but he could feel it greater than anything. Loki barely recognized his own voice when he spoke, “I don’t know what you want me to say brother.” He bit back a terrified sob “I feel that I am so far beyond being forgiven for this… I do not even think asking or begging would do me any good.”

Thor rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. “What makes you think that?” Thor asked quietly, his voice remaining as neutral as his face.

Loki carefully shook his head, “I endangered an entire team of heroes, I lied and snuck off-world, I kept a major secret not just from the Avengers, but from you! Even though I told you I would stop! I just…” Loki petered off, his eyes falling dull “I thought I had come so far, and improved myself so much. But I have set myself further back than before.”

Thor was silent for a moment, and then he smiled. Not a grin, but a soft, understanding, very fond smile that only came with the feeling of pride. “That is all I needed to hear, brother of mine.” Thor reached out and squeezed Loki’s arm.

The younger brother looked up with what could only be described as dumb confusion “What?”

Thor smiled like he was seeing an old friend for the first time in a long time, and Loki felt younger than he had in many years. “Loki, you have changed, in more ways than I think you even know. The fact that you even care enough to acknowledge that you put others in harm’s way, and to feel remorse for doing so…”. Thor laughed and shook his head “As for the lying, you and I both knew that it would never really stop, but this time you were lying to protect, not to injure, so I don’t mind as much.”

Loki stared at Thor with wide eyes as he continued, “So while I am extremely angry at you, and about everything that happened while the rest of the team and I were gone. I more look forward to hearing the tales of your adventure, and of how you found a place all your own.” 

Loki’s eyes were burning as he unsuccessfully tried to keep from crying. Loki nodded frantically, “It is my place, I finally found it” he stammered weakly. Loki took a deep breath, “I finally made a friend, more than one actually, and ones who can keep me in line. I did my best to look out for the younger ones, especially Peter, because he’s my favorite.” 

Thor laughed heartily, “I enjoy his company as well.”

Loki let out a dry laugh, “I finally got to visit my home planet, and learn of my birth culture and people”. Thor’s eyes widened and he stiffened, Loki met his gaze, “I met my birth mother.”

Thor’s face went slack and he stared at Loki in bewilderment. Loki brushed his hair from his face, “Turns out I also have a biological sister! Though she’s much less crazy in the way yours was, she’s crazy in a good way. I technically have a ton of half siblings as well, but I didn’t meet any of them.”

Thor suddenly came back to himself, “Hold on! You have a sister! And she’s not an insane megalomaniac?!”

Loki laughed and shook his head, “No, she’s a trickster, more like I was many years ago, but not crazy.”

Thor was caught somewhere between excitement and disbelief. “How’d you meet her?! And when? What’s she like?”

“Well, we met on my adventure. I ended up visiting Jotunheim because she persuaded me to.” Loki smiled fondly, “Her name is Eira, and somehow she ended up almost an exact replica of who I used to be. She’s about three hundred years younger than I, and was not raised as a royal because, like me, she is far too small to be a Jotunn. I suppose that’s because neither of us are full Jotunn, our mother Farbauti is not a Jotunn herself”

Thor raised an eyebrow, “And you said you met her as well? What is she? What is she like?”

Loki took a deep breath, “Well, that’s a little more difficult to explain…”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two days was more than enough time for Peter to deliberate what he was going to say to Tony. Then the time came, and Peter was called down to the lab, and he realized that he was so beyond not ready to conversation, but he needed to have it anyway. So Peter headed to the lab, and Tony was waiting for him. 

Peter snuck into the lab, watching quietly as Tony continued working on the repairs to Peter’s suit. The music playing wasn’t Tony’s usual playlist; Peter recognized it as the playlist he’d assembled for when he and Tony worked down in the lab together. Peter leaned against the doorway and tried to calm the frantic beating in his chest. 

After a few minutes Tony sighed and spoke, “Fri, will you let me know when the kid is headed down this way?” 

FRIDAY’s voice prickled with the closest thing to humor she could express, “Sure thing Boss.”

“Just so you know, Peter’s been standing the doorway for the last three and a half minutes”

Tony whipped around, dropping his tools on the workbench. His eyes landed on Peter and he let out an irritated sigh, “Really FRIDAY? You couldn’t have said something sooner?” Tony shook his head and motioned for Peter to enter. 

Peter slunk inside the room, stiff as a board. Tony’s face softened and he pulled the kid into a hug, “Sorry, should’ve been paying more attention.” 

Peter’s only response was his eyes flicking around the room nervously before landing back on his mentor. Tony’s eyes darkened with worry, “Hey, you okay kid?”

Peter nodded slowly and Tony seemed to understand, “Okay, so you’re worried about how this talk is going to go. If it helps at all I can tell you right now that you’re not going to be grounded. I’m not taking the suit. You really don’t need to worry about me being royally pissed off at you, you didn’t cause any real trouble.”

Tony offered a half-smile, “Besides, your only other trip to space didn’t end so well, I’m just glad it didn’t end the same way this time. As much as I may hold against them, I know Loki and Barnes both care about you and wouldn’t risk your life like that.” 

Peter nodded sullenly, arms folded across his chest. Tony sighed, gaze rolling to the ceiling before falling back on Peter, “I’m being honest kid, I’m just glad you’re alive.” Tony scoffed “You didn’t cause any major trouble.”

He shot Peter a sharp glare as he settled on the edge of his work table, “Except blowing up my lab, which I had thought was pretty much indestructible until I got the call.” 

Peter flushed guiltily and ducked his head as he hopped onto the table beside his mentor. Tony sighed and wrapped his arm around Peter’s shoulders, “You were just doing your job, kid. You were trying to not only save your teammates, but possibly the universe as well. I can’t blame you for that.”

Peter nodded, but remained as tense as ever. Tony had an uneasy feeling “There’s something else, isn’t there? This isn’t just about Rock of Ages and Manchurian Candidate’s little stunt?”

Peter took a shaky breath and nodded; he unfolded his legs and rested his hands in his lap. Tony waited in silence for a long moment as Peter tried to begin. “Okay” Peter choked on the single word and grimaced. “I have good news, and I have bad news” Peter looked to Tony, “Which would you rather hear first Mr. Stark?”

Tony took a deep breath and growled, panic starting to rise in his chest, “I swear to God if you got someone pregnant-”

“No!” Peter yelled with full-fledged panic, “No! It’s not, it’s not anything like that Mr. Stark!”

Tony tried to keep himself calm by focusing on Peter’s heartbeat, which Tony could faintly feel underneath the heel of his palm. “Well that’s good news enough. But, go with whatever you feel is more important” he shrugged, “I’ll be here for both rounds of news no matter what.” 

Peter nodded solemnly and Tony could feel his own heart jump to his throat. Peter wrung his hands, “Then, I guess I’m starting with the bad news.” 

Peter took several breaths after that, each one shakier than the last, and each one definitely not helping Tony reduce his spiking anxiety. Eventually Peter was able to shove out the first few words, the start. “So, uh, Aunt May and I, had an argument” Tony’s face remained stoic but open, “And uh, it kinda escalated into a major fight. After the war, she wanted me to give up the suit, finish high school in peace, and I couldn’t, for obvious reasons.”

Peter’s knuckles were turning white, his hands were clasped so tightly. Tony could see the blood draining from Peter’s face and held him closer. Peter continued, his voice beginning to crack, “And it, uh, it finally kinda blew up, about three months ago”. Peter’s eyes were watering and he blinked rapidly. Peter sniffled and bobbed his head “And uh, May… kicked me out.”

Tony stared at Peter for a long moment, trying to process what he’d heard. It didn’t click until after Peter had started speaking again “I’ve been doing my best to get by on my own since then, but I talked to Bucky and he said I should talk to you about it” Peter was biting back tears now “Because you care about me, and because I don’t have to do this alone, because it sucks-”

“Hold on a fucking second!” Tony’s brain had finally caught up with the situation. He took a stuttering breath and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, “You got kicked out of your aunt’s house? Three months ago?”

Peter nodded and Tony had to resist the urge to scream. Tony buried his face in his hands as he heard his heart rate monitor begin to beep, alerting him that his blood pressure was rising rapidly in a not good way “Is that- Is that why you’ve been spending so much time here at the compound?!”

Peter nodded again and whimpered a weak, “Yes.”

Tony was silent for a long moment. Then he pushed himself back into a sitting position and gave Peter a look that caused him to start weeping instantly “Why didn’t you tell me?” Tony’s voice drooped weakly and Peter instantly regretted everything. 

Peter burst into tears in a split second. Peter sobbed as tears poured down his face, “Cause I didn’t want to be a burden! You have so much to deal with I just-”

Tony grabbed Peter and pulled him into a deathly tight hug, “Peter, I swear on my life you are never, and will never be a burden to me. I treasure you, and I want you to remember that, always.”

Peter buried his face in Tony’s shoulder as he sobbed loudly. Tony rubbed small circles into Peter's back, “My dad was shit and was never there for me growing up. I promise that I'll be here to support you, no matter what”. Tony took a deep breath “And while we will have to go talk to your Aunt May at some point, because she is your family, I don't want to rush you into any uncomfortable situations just yet. Got it?”

Peter nodded, his sobs beginning to slow and quiet. Tony sighed and buried his face in Peter's thick hair, “Jesus, you let your hair grow out any more and you're going to start looking like Barnes. And while I support you, I'd have trouble backing that decision.” 

Peter laughed weakly, still clinging to Tony. Tony took a deep breath “But kid, I've also been thinking, and talking with Pep of course… And uh, we both agree that we think it's time to make this uh, relationship official.” 

Tony winced as Peter shifted to stare at him like he was crazy, “Sorry, that came out weird. But do you get what I'm trying to say?”

Peter slowly shook his head, wiping his face with his overly long sleeves. Tony huffed and rolled his eyes, throwing his hands slightly. Tony fixed his gaze back on Peter “How do you feel about officially becoming a Stark, kid? About letting Pep and I be even more annoying as actual parents than we are as pretend ones.”

Peter stared at Tony with wide eyes. “Are you serious?” Peter croaked “You want- you want to adopt me?” 

Tony threw up his hands and offered Peter a small smile, “Why not? You're already a part of the family.”

Peter grinned at Tony, eyes squinting as he tried to keep from bursting into tears, “I'd love that Mr. Stark.” 

Tony guffawed, “Come on Pete, it's gonna be weird if you keep calling me Mr. Stark.” He patted Peter on the shoulder, “Call me Dad.” 

Peter started crying again and pulled Tony into a deathly tight hug. Tony sighed happily for a moment and then paused mid breath, “Hold on, didn't you say there was good news too?”

Peter nodded and laughed into Tony's shoulder, “Yeah, there is.”

“So?” Tony asked.

Peter tightened his grip around Tony's waist momentarily “I got my college acceptance letters. Harvard, Cambridge, and MIT.”

Tony whistled, eyes softening as he grinned. Tony brushed a hand through Peter's hair “And you did it all by yourself”. He shook his head “That's my boy.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bucky yawned and stretched, groaning as his body screamed at him. After two days, Bucky was still in serious pain, but it was his first time waking up in his own bed for over a month, and it felt glorious. 

Bucky rubbed his eyes with one hand and rolled onto his back, reaching for Steve. His hand hit the mattress and Bucky stiffened. Bucky sat up, looking to the empty spot next to him in bed. Panic crawled up his spine and he looked around the room silently. 

Bucky’s mind ran wild. None of it had been real, it was all a dream. The Avengers were still gone. The threat of the Eternals was looming over them. That soul crushing, bone chilling, life sucking force was still waiting. Bucky could feel himself beginning to spiral into a panic attack. The Reality Stone pulsed in his chest, trying to force him to calm down. 

There was a knock on the door and Wanda peeked her head inside, “Bucky, are you awake?”

She smiled softly when she saw him sitting up in bed, “Good morning Sleeping Beauty. How are you feeling?”

Bucky took a deep breath and leaned back against the headboard, “Not quite as dead as I did before.”

Wanda laughed quietly, “I’m glad. I was asked to come and see if you were up yet. You feel up to eating?”

Bucky suddenly became aware of just how hungry he was and nodded frantically. His stomach grumbled as he replied with, “I’m starving. I feel like eating a full buffet right now.”

Wanda nodded, “Alright. I’ll have some sent down for you. Please don’t each too much though, you know the rules about adjusting after going a long time without eating.”

Bucky nodded, hardly listening as the whirl of anxiety in his chest pushed at his lungs. Bucky pulled his knees to his chest and looked at Wanda “How’s, uh- How is Steve? How’s he doing?”

Wanda’s face melted into a look of understanding. She stepped through the doorway and closed it behind her. Wanda sat down on the edge of the bed beside him, one elbow resting across his knee. The gesture was so trusting that Bucky felt instant gratitude to Wanda. 

“He’s…. a mess, but that’s to be expected at this point.” She shrugged lightly “He’s angry, about a lot of things though, not just you. I’m slightly amazed he hasn’t tried to even talk to Loki, let alone fight him.” 

“Do you know where he is?”

Wanda tilted her head “He’s at breakfast. Amazingly, he didn’t burn the waffles this time. And though they aren’t quite as good as yours, they don’t taste like cardboard” 

Bucky could tell she was trying to cheer him up, but the nagging in his chest was still dragging him down. Wanda sighed “I’ll tell him you’re awake and send him down once he’s done eating. Do you want to eat before or after?”

Bucky shifted, “I think I’d rather try now, if I wait until after have a feeling I really won’t want to”

Wanda nodded and patted his knee as she rose from her seat “Alright, I’ll make Peter bring you something. Try and keep calm Bucky, it’ll be alright”

And with that she was gone, drifting through the doorway like a crimson ghost. Bucky closed his eyes and rested his forehead on his knees as he attempted to quell his anxiousness.

A few minutes later there was another knock and Bucky stifled a tired laugh as Peter entered with a call of, “Morning Winter Boo Boo Bear! Want some breakfast?”

Bucky groaned, “Please don’t tell me you heard that one from Sam.”

Peter laughed, “I did, and I love it.”

Bucky watched as Peter carried a massive tray of food over and set it on the bed. Bucky noted the grin and bounce in Peter’s step that had finally returned “You seem extremely jovial today? What’s up?”

Peter shifted on his feet for a moment. Peter clambered onto the bed and sat by Bucky’s feet, cross-legged. “I uh, I finally had my chat with Mr. Sta-” Peter corrected himself “With Tony”

Bucky raised an eyebrow, “And?”

A small smile snuck onto Peter’s face “Well, he agrees that I need to work things out with Aunt May. So we’re going to work on that… And he’s really happy about the fact that I made it into my schools.”

Bucky caught the unspoken and smiled, “And?”

Peter grinned at him “He and Pepper want to adopt me!”

Bucky couldn’t help but feel joy for him. He pulled Peter into a hug, “Congrats kid, I’m happy to hear that everything is working out.” 

Peter hugged him back, “Yeah well, like you said, it had to happen eventually.” Peter huffed and dragged himself off the bed, “Anyways, I’ll leave you alone with your breakfast.”

Peter bounced over to the doorway, “I expect you to catch up on your homework by the way, don’t think your month in space made it go away.”

Bucky laughed, high and clear, “Yeah right, get out of here Kid.”

Peter disappeared through the door with a bright laugh. Bucky chuckled and looked down at the large assortment of food Wanda had sent down for him. Obviously she understood the super-soldier appetite he, Steve, and a majority of the team shared. Four full size waffles, bacon, sausage, a platter of fresh fruit, a thing of hot chocolate, and two cups of coffee. Plus she’d tucked a couple small boxes of cereal in there for later. 

Bucky turned on the tv and after a few minutes of searching decide to rewatch season 3 of Queer Eye. Sadly enough, season 4 had come out while they were in space, but he wasn’t sure he was quite ready to watch it just yet. He made it through the first episode, and his entire breakfast, before there was a familiar knock on the door. 

Bucky’s body tensed instinctively and he set down his last cup of coffee. He tried to brush down his nerves as he sat up and paused the show, “You can come in.”

Steve stepped through the doorway and Bucky’s breath left him as he was able to take his first good look at Steve in over a month and a half. He looked good, as always. His beard was starting to make a reappearance, now more than scruff, and his hair was loosely slicked back. 

But Bucky knew Steve, and Bucky knew better than to believe that Steve was okay. It was the slight crumple in his button down, the sloppily rolled up sleeves, the stray lock of hair falling out of place. It was the dark circles, and the way his jaw was set, like he was waiting for a fight. 

Steve was silent as he entered the room, eyes finding every and any place to land except Bucky’s face. The door slid shut behind him and they were trapped in a room thick with tension. Steve remained silent, waiting by the door. Bucky took a deep breath and sighed. 

Bucky patted the bed beside him “Come sit”

Steve slunk over, head held high, but the smoothness of his steps betraying his nervousness. He sat down and rested with his back against the wall, mirroring Bucky’s position. Steve left a four inch gap between their shoulders. Bucky sucked in a shaky breath, praying that he could fix this before it got any worse. 

“I just-” Bucky’s voice cracked and he winced “I just want to start by apologizing.” Bucky took a breath “I’m sorry that I left, that I lied to you, to everyone. I’m sorry that we were gone so long, and that everything got out of hand.”

Steve was watching him now, his face schooled into a cold mask that Bucky recognized as a sign of him trying to keep his cool. Bucky grit his teeth “While I am sorry about all that, I am not sorry for trusting Loki. I know you don’t trust him, but I do, and he is an extremely valuable asset to the team.” Bucky paused “And he’s my friend.”

Steve stiffened and Bucky slid his hand into Steve’s “I love you, Steve, but I need you to respect that I have a life of my own, and that it doesn’t always revolve around you”

Steve sighed and rested his head on Bucky’s shoulder. Bucky pressed a kiss to Steve’s hair, rubbing his thumb along Steve’s hand. “I know” Steve’s voice was rough and cool “It’s just, hard to wrap my head around. For the longest time it was just the two of us, even during the war”

Bucky couldn’t resist the flicker of irritation he felt, he leaned away from Steve “No it wasn’t.” Steve looked up at him nervously “It was never just the two of us during the war. As much as I admired her, Peggy was the wedge between us. Well, she and all the trauma I was hiding from my time at Azzano. We weren’t ‘just the two of us’ for almost seventy years, from the time between Azzano to Wakanda”

Steve was quiet for a moment before he quietly whispered “I always thought it was just the two of us, like nothing ever changed”

“Obviously shit changed Steve!” Bucky had to resist the urge to storm off. “After all we’ve been through, it’s not the same! Nothing could ever be the same!”

Bucky took a deep breath, attempting to quell his anger, “That being said, I love you more than anything, and will always be here for you. That, at least, hasn’t changed.” He started Steve down “If you’re really serious about slowing down on the hero stuff, about taking time to just be us, and finally admitting to their being an us… Then I am more than happy to stay with you.”

“And if I don’t?”

Bucky sighed, “Then… we’re done… I’ll go back to Wakanda, to my farm, and do my thing there. You can stay here and continue working with the Avengers.”

Bucky could see the gears frantically churning in Steve’s head. “Buck, it’s just…” Steve stumbled for words as he sat up, “I’m Captain America! I’m a public figurehead! People need Cap more than ever right now, it’s been less than a year since Thanos-” Steve swallowed thickly and trailed off.

“I know you're nervous about the reaction, especially from the public. But this is the 21st century!” Bucky argued. “Things are so different now; you'll have more support than you think you will. And if you're really that worried about tarnishing Cap’s image” he shifted on his feet “Then maybe it really is time to pass on the shield.”

Steve sighed and pressed his hand over Bucky's. Bucky could see Steve’s mind running as his eyes flicked back and forth between Bucky and the ground. After a moment Steve sighed and shook his head “It has to be Sam”

Bucky's felt a stir in his chest and tried to suppress a grin, “He has a good soul, and a strong heart.”

Steve nodded slowly and met Bucky's gaze. “He was born to be a hero” Bucky said slowly.

Bucky wanted to scream in triumph; an excited bundle filled his chest as Steve's eyes grew a present look once more. Steve wrapped his arms around Bucky's waist and pulled him close. Steve sighed and pressed a kiss to Bucky's temple, “I'll talk to Sam, if he seems interested and willing. I will consider passing the shield.” 

Bucky felt like he was going to pass out, he was so elated. Or maybe that was because he was still running on adrenaline and medication at that point. Bucky grinned at Steve, “Really? Are you serious?”

Steve squeezed Bucky's hip, “On one condition.”

Bucky paused his joy and slumped into Steve's grip, “Which is?”

Steve smiled softly, “We met on September 21, 1930. Next year will be the ninetieth anniversary of the two of us meeting in that little back alley in Brooklyn. We've been through a lot since then, but we've managed to come out the other side and still be this close” Steve looked Bucky straight in the eye “So, the condition of me quitting? This year, I want you to seal the deal.”

Bucky's face dropped. Steve pressed a chaste kiss to Bucky's cheekbone, “Marry me.”

Bucky gawked at Steve long time. Long enough to make the taller man shift uncomfortably. “Is that a no?” Steve's voice wobbled.

Bucky was back instantly, cuffing Steve upside the head with a loud thwack “Seriously? You want to go from not being public or definite about our relationship at all, to getting married?!”

Steve flushed bashfully, “Well, you already said it but, what are we waiting for? It's you and I Bucky, 'til the end of the line’.”

Bucky gasped excitedly and kissed Steve, hard. Steve gasped like a fish as Bucky quickly pulled away and stumbled off the bed to where his jacket had been discarded. “What are you doing?” Steve asked worriedly, jumping off the bed as he tried his best to keep Bucky from falling over.

Bucky grabbed Steve's dog tags from his interior pocket and grinned when he saw the flash of vibranium. Bucky maneuvered the chain in his hand as he stood, eyes focused on his task. Steve watched as Bucky fumbled with the chain until he had a thin blue band of vibranium pressed between his thumb and forefinger. 

Steve's eyes widened, “Is that... Is that what I think it is?”

Bucky nodded and held it up between them, “An extra band made from the same ore deposit as my arm, Shuri winked at me and said it might come in handy for other “stuff” though.”

Steve's hand carefully closed around Bucky's, eyes practically glowing with happiness. Steve chuckled, “Too bad your arm got destroyed, it might mean more if we were matching.”

Bucky smirked,“Don't worry about that, I'll have my arm back soon. I was just too tired to deal with it before.” 

Steve stared at Bucky like he'd just grown an extra head, “What do you mean you'll have it back soon? It was blown off? Does Shuri just have a spare lying around somewhere?”

Bucky sighed and shook his head, “I'll show you, but please, step back a little.” 

Steve took the ring and dog tags from Bucky before wandering back a few steps. Bucky jerked his head and Steve stepped back even further, looking more and more worried with each step. Bucky motioned for Steve to stop and took a deep breath.

Bucky focused on his arm, the metal one. He reconstructed it piece by piece in his mind, eternally grateful that Shuri had allowed him to study the blueprints as much as he’d wanted. Bucky held his hand over the stump where Loki had chopped off the rest of his arm. Bucky took a shallow breath and summoned the Reality Stone. The power crackled and wavered at first, unwilling to submit to Bucky's will. Bucky pushed harder and the rebellious force relented.

Bucky heard Steve gasp as he sent a wave of power through reality and his vibranium arm folded back into existence. It was like watching it be built in rapid succession, from the bare “bones” through the mechanical “muscles” down to the tiniest of the receptor pads on his fingertips. Bucky felt the power expand slightly, urging him to do more, to create more, but he refused with a will of iron, or rather, vibranium. Bucky barely had enough strength in him to finish his arm, there was no time to help with his wounds. Bucky released the stone and its power flickered away again like a dying flame. 

Steve slowly exhaled, the rigidness of his body betraying how uncomfortable the whole situation made him. Bucky held out his hand and Steve jumped. Steve pressed the dog tags back into Bucky's hand.

Bucky carefully undid the chain's clasp and pulled the band off in a fluid movement. He held it out to Steve, who gently rested it in the palm of his hand. Bucky redid the clasp and tucked his chain back in his pocket. Steve stared at the band intensely for a moment before he slowly slipped it onto his ring finger. 

Small gasps escaped each of them and they looked to each other. Bucky smiled, real genuine smile. Steve grabbed Bucky by the back of his neck and gently pulled him into a delicate kiss. They were both smiling when they pulled apart. Steve smiled down at him, “How about we get back to that Queer Eye marathon? I haven’t watched season 3 yet.”

Bucky grinned at him “Really?”

Steve’s face shifted into an impish grin, “Of course, it’s no fun without my fiance.” Steve’s voice dropped into a purr at the end. 

Bucky melted, “Yeah, that sounds fucking amazing.” Whether he meant the show, or the way Steve had said fiance for the first time, Bucky wasn’t quite sure. 

 

Epilogue:  
Two months later, New Asgard  
\-----------------------------

Bucky and Loki walked through the beginning of the gardens of New Asgard in near silence, examining all the work that had been done over the past few months. Bucky had no real reason for being in New Asgard other than the fact that he wanted to be, and Loki hadn’t protested the idea when it was proposed, so he’d decided to drop by while Steve worked on painting their new apartment with Sam. Apparently, Steve had a surprise planned and didn’t want Bucky to be in the apartment. So, off he went to New Asgard. 

Bucky had been amazed by the technology and architecture, but he appreciated the gardens as well. And found it interesting to examine the alien plants. Loki called him a nerd but Bucky knew that Loki was just as bad as he was. They paused in front of the section that was being used for medicinal herbs.

Loki looked down at the plants warmly, “I am thrilled with how it all is coming along. So much time and work has gone into this.”

Bucky smiled at him, “It looks really good. You should be proud of it.”

Loki smiled warmly, “I am.” 

“You say that as if this is your garden…” a lilting voice chuckled from behind them. 

Loki and Bucky paused and looked back at who’d spoken. It was an Asgardian woman, you could tell by the way she held herself as she looked them in the eye. Loki turned to face her, “You speak as if you know differently. Who are you?” 

The woman laughed, her hazel eyes sparkling curiously. “Really? You don’t recognize me? I understand it’s been quite a few years but that’s practically rude” she snapped playfully.

Loki’s eyes narrowed and Bucky saw a flash of recognition in them. Loki stepped forward, eyes dipping to the tattoo on the back of her hand. Loki gasped, his face lighting up. “Sigyn?” Loki asked excitedly.

She laughed, “You are so incredibly dull sometimes! I know I was gone for several hundred years but that doesn’t give you the right to forget me!” Sigyn swished a loose lock of her chocolate curls over her shoulder with a flick of her head. 

Loki grinned back at Bucky and motioned him closer, “Bucky, come meet Sigyn, she’s an old friend of mine.”

Bucky wandered closer and relaxed slightly when he saw a smile flit onto Sigyn’s face. Loki introduced them with excitement “Bucky, meet Sigyn, she’s been an Asgardian diplomat for many years and was trained to be a Valkyrie as well”. He turned to Sigyn, “Sigyn, meet James, my closest friend here on Earth. He one of the mightiest warriors I know.”

Bucky’s face reddened slightly as he extended a hand, “It’s a pleasure.”

Sigyn shook his hand with a strong grip and Bucky could instantly tell he was really dealing with a Valkyrie, “The pleasure is mine James, it’s good to see that someone has helped Loki find his place.”

“Where have you been?” Loki asked “Were you traveling the universe the entire time you were gone?”

Sigyn shook her head, “Yes, but no. When I heard of your brother’s coronation a few years ago I returned to give my congratulations…. Only to find that you’d betrayed everyone and had died?”

Loki paled slightly, balking nervously. Sigyn continued “After that I stayed on Asgard and helped the All-Mother try and strengthen the faith in Asgard that had been shaken” she sent Loki a very pointed look, “I remained on Asgard until your sister attacked and Surtur was awakened, causing Ragnarok. I would’ve come and found you, or your brother, but you spent your time in jail or dead and he was busy traveling the universe saving lives.”

Loki nodded in understanding, “And then Thanos attacked and nearly everyone died.”

Sigyn nodded “I’ve been working with Brunnhilde since we arrived here on Earth to help keep the people calm and help them settle in. I’m glad we are finally getting to talk though, I’ve been lonely with only Ratatoskr to talk to.”

Bucky and Loki exchanged a glance. “With only who to talk to?” Loki asked curiously, looking around the abandoned courtyard.

Sigyn giggled, “You won’t find him if you’re looking for a person. He isn’t one.” Sigyn turned to a nearby tree and whistled. Bucky and Loki watched as a gray blur darted along the ground and ran clambered up Sigyn’s work gear. The squirrel settled on Sigyn’s shoulder and stared at Bucky and Loki with large black eyes, nose twitching. 

“Ratatoskr” Loki sighed as he remembered the name. “The messenger of the world tree Yggdrasil… How is he still alive?”

Sigyn shrugged, “Who really knows. He says he roamed freely after being set loose when the Dark Elves attacked the palace until Ragnarok occured. Then he claims he boarded the ship in some Asgardian’s luggage and remained there for a very long time. I eventually found him scampering around as we arrived on Sakaar, and I’ve taken care of him ever since.”

Loki glared at the squirrel suspiciously, “And you can actually understand what he says?”

Ratatoskr squeaked and rubbed his tiny paws on his face, “Yes, I can. And he can understand what you say as well. He’s rather offended you think so lowly of him. He wishes I remind you that he is as old as Yggdrasil itself.”

Loki flushed slightly and stepped away from Sigyn and Ratatoskr, “My apologies, Ratatoskr, I did not mean to insult.”

Bucky bit back a snicker that earned him an actual glare from Loki. One that was clearly telling Bucky to shut up and not embarrass him. Bucky coughed and repositioned himself so he looked relaxed and confident. He knew what to do.

Bucky shot Sigyn a charming smile “Well, Sigyn, it's been lovely to meet you and while we'd love to stay and talk, Loki and I are on our way to help discuss the plans for New Asgard with your king.”

Loki opened his mouth to protest but Bucky's elbow landed in his ribs and he closed it quickly. Bucky set a hand on Loki's shoulder, “Which is a travesty seeing as you and Loki have so much to catch up on.”

Sigyn thankfully caught Bucky's drift before Loki did and smiled brightly “Oh! Of course.” She looked to Loki, “I am typically charged with Ratatoskr’s care at all times along with helping Brunnhilde, but I don't think she would mind allowing me some time off say… next Wednesday morning? If you are available?” 

Loki suddenly caught on and laughed awkwardly, “Well, I suppose-”

Bucky cut him off, “He's definitely free.” 

Loki let out a short squawk as Bucky grabbed him by the shoulders and steered him towards the edge of the garden. “Goodbye Sigyn!” Bucky yelled over his shoulder. He squeezed Loki's shoulders deathly tight and hissed in his ear, “Say goodbye.”

Loki frantically looked over his shoulder as Bucky practically dragged him along “Oh yes, until next Wednesday then, Lady Sigyn!” 

Sigyn waved at them, laughing lightly, “Until then! It was a pleasure!” 

Once they had exited the garden Bucky let go of Loki and dropped beside him. Loki was silent for a tense moment, then he spoke. “I hate you” Loki spat, his face flushed.

Bucky let out a loud laugh and doubled over. “You love me!” he chortled, bumping Loki with his shoulder.

Loki shoved Bucky lightly. “I hate you!” Loki's words couldn't mask the growing smile on his face. 

Bucky shoved back, “I just got you a date!”

Loki growled and shoved Bucky a little harder, “I didn't need any help!” 

Bucky pushed Loki from his waist, causing the god to stumble “I'm your best friend! It's my job to be your wingman! Especially when you lose your head!”

Loki yelled and tackled Bucky. They fell to the ground in a tangled heap of limbs, laughing brightly. They remained in the dirt for another moment, until their laughter began to fade. Then they stayed next to each other for another moment, breathing in time as they watched the sky above them.

“Best friend, hmmm?” Loki murmured “Have I earned that title?” 

Bucky chuckled, “You've more than earned it.”

Loki sighed contentedly, “Well, then I suppose you're my best friend as well.” 

Bucky replied with a sharp laugh, “I hope so, I thought I was your only friend?!”

Loki smacked Bucky's stomach, but not hard enough to keep Bucky from laughing. Bucky eventually calmed down and stopped laughing, a new thought crossing his mind, “So, now that we're officially best friends, I have a question to ask you. Or rather, it's more of a favor.”

Loki glanced at him, hands folded over his stomach, “As Peter would say… Shoot.”

Bucky chuckled, pillowing his arms behind his head as he glanced at Loki sheepishly. “Would you be my best man at Steve and I’s wedding?”

It took Loki a solid minute to process what he'd been asked.

Loki sat up like he'd been struck by lightning, hair flying about his face “YOUR WHAT?!”


End file.
